


The Blue Lagoon

by NocturnalDelight



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Loki is also a trickster, OC dislikes SHIELD, OC inner conflict, OC is kidnapped by said god, OC is too powerful for her own good, Temporary Amnesia, Transformation, loki is intrigued, low sense of self-worth, will add more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26163982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NocturnalDelight/pseuds/NocturnalDelight
Summary: “The individual able to fool the great Trickster God, is surely the one able to make the world perish at their feet.”Amelia woke up in the middle of a roaad in New York, exhausted, worn and with no further recollection of her old life or identity other than the strange ability she is fairly certain she didn't have before. A freak of nature, Amelia gets the attention of SHIELD, who imprisons her with the promise of keeping her safe from herself and others. With the introduction of the Avengers, Amelia is tossed into a world of chaos and an outer-space god that she can't seem to forget- as well as the recurring familiarity of a life she still can't remember. Amelia becomes certain, however, that whatever or whoever put her out there onto that road- didn't intend for her to fall in love with the God of Mischef. Neither did they intend for her to join the Avengers to save humanity. They sent her to destroy it...
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. I - Unidentified

**Author's Note:**

> Good evening. (how do you communicate with people, idk.) This is my first time posting a story here, but this has been a work of mine for a long time. I have yet to correct everything, so feel free to point out mistakes if you'd like. English is not my first language so I consider it good practice. The first few chapters involve a lot around events happening in the movies, and I try to follow them accurately. However, things will soon be written from OC's perspective which will hopefully give some sense of originality to this story, despite following a lot of scenes from (currently) The Avengers. Hope you enjoy!  
> -NocturnalDelight
> 
> (I want to say something about all rights of Avengers, the characters involved except my own and stuff respectfully goes to the rightful owners. But honestly I'm not sure how to write that well, yet...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our main female heroine wakes up and SHIELD attempts to locate her by any means necessary amidst retrieving the Tesseract.

The universe consists of two things. The truth- and the unknown. Earth is inevitably the source, as we know it, of that fact. Billions of people reside on the planet, and all of them are the truth equation to the unknown that they are yet to be made aware of. The problem is, Earth is far too primitive to grasp the logic behind the fantasies that they usually dismiss as just that- a fantasy. But there are others- by far more intelligent than any other human being on the planet that manage to bypass Man’s greatest disadvantage. Believing in something that they have yet to see. Those individuals are the most dangerous women and men in the world. That is- _our_ world. To the rest of the universe, these humans are but a glimpse of the ideal existential being’s foremost intelligence. While humans surpass some planets with their technological advances- their ability to see the potential in other beings is little. What they don’t know, is that people that easily pass for human easily walks among them. Now, if humans are considered prey or predator to these beings, is yet to be known. For the moment, what they don’t know- they have no reason to fear.

But in time, they will…

Her breath shaking, the only sound she had known evaporated into herself as the ringing sound of the ground shaking forced her awake from her dreamless slumber. She felt her fingers grasp at unknown ground and she looked down- sight still blurry as she managed to make out the coarse and glazed surface.

“Ci-ty…” her voice was hoarse, throat too damaged to speak as she regretted the word that left her lips. With a shaky grunt, she willed herself to move, unable to bring herself further than on her knees, hands slapping against the hard, black ground while the ringing tone seemed to slightly increase before it just as swiftly disappeared. Her vision no longer glazed over, able to see something else but blurry and double, she instinctively looked up to recover whatever surroundings she had blacked out in. A large screeching sound, along with a loud warning sound passed through her ears, her eyes widening with a gasp as she rolled over, barely escaping the large yellow object that picked up its speed as it passed her by. A man sat in it, stretching his head out with an angry expression- and she realized she was stranded in the middle of a busy road.

“Get out of the road, fucking asshole!” she nodded, more to herself than him, too shaken with the fact that she was almost run over to take offense at his remark. People seemed to swarm around her, some passing by while a couple seemed to hover over her, whispering to each other.

“Oh my God, is she alright? What happened?”

“Shit- she looks awful- where did she come from?”

The onlookers jumped back, a path forcefully cleared between them as the woman in front of them suddenly lunged on her feet, sprinting past them with no care when she slammed into them occasionally. Down her path, people yelled after her, some letting out frightened shrieks when the woman passed them by without them noticing her before her almost institutionalized clothing caught their attention.

“What the hell- did she run away from an asylum or something?”

“S-shouldn’t we call the police- what if she’s dangerous?” The woman almost halted in her sprint, instead choosing to disappear into a dark alleyway, only now noticing that the darkness around her came from the time of the hour. With people out of sight, she scrambled to the concrete ground- falling in behind a dark green container. Catching her breath, she looked past the dumpster she had hid behind, frantically trying to locate if there were anyone nearby. Once she deemed the path clear, she leaned her head back against a dirty brick wall, eyes squinting closed at the painful feeling of her heart leaping in her throat. The comments from the people she had passed seemed to linger in her head, but surprisingly not because of how offensive they were. The woman calmed, eyes locked onto the wall in front of her, sprayed with a fading black color of a poor anarchist sign, a description that made her eyes widen.

_She could remember everything- except her own name…_

STARK tower was lighting up nicely. It pleased Tony to feel every by passer of New York steal glances at his creation, especially so because his own name was written in bold, big letters across the entire balcony. But as he was standing in his apartment, looking over the city with a celebratory drink in his hand, Potts by his side, his night still somehow managed to get ruined by the sudden visitor that, no matter how hard he tried, had managed to surpass JARVIS’ security system.

“Phil!” Potts chimed, earning a grunt of disapproval from Stark, as he quickly followed the woman as she greeted the Agent.

“Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent!” Stark mentally sighed at the trouble he knew he had ahead of him. He had yet to hear it, but the grim expression on Coulson’s face told him everything he needed to know. Well, not everything- only that his night had been ruined because SHIELD needed something from him. He still had an internal discussion with himself whether it was money or manpower from the suit they came to him for. Maybe Coulson was just an overly obsessive secret fan of Stark- he did seem like the fangirling type, despite his overly Fed-like occupation.

“We need you to look this over, as soon as possible.” Stark took notice of the very obvious case folder only when Coulson held it out, eyes staring blankly into his as Stark shook his head in dismay. Money? Fine. But he wasn’t going to grammar-check Coulson’s homework.

“I don’t like being handed-“

“That’s fine!” Stark mentally rolled his eyes at Potts- who wittily somehow managed to have the folder in Stark’s hand with the swift movement that ended up with him having nothing but homework- and Coulson and Potts being the ones to celebrate with _his_ fortune worth of champagne.

“Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday.” Stark tried, though it wouldn’t be the first time someone would throw his with back at him.

“This isn’t a consultation case.” Coulson shook his head, still holding a serious expression- something which deeply disturbed and went against Stark’s very personality. His interest was, however, rapidly increased as Coulson, although still indifferent, didn’t reject Potts when she thoughtlessly mentioned the Avengers Initiative. Stark turned on his heel, opening the folder to reconnect it back into a hi-tech laptop, while still holding eye contact with the Agent. This was going to be interesting.

“The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought- and I wasn’t even qualified!” Stark scoffed, acting as if him not being considered a part of SHIELD’s secret operation didn’t face him. But it did. Initially, he didn’t care much for the operation itself, but to not be considered good enough for something left a bad taste in his mouth nevertheless.

“Yeah- apparently I’m volatile, self-obsessed- don’t play well with others…” Stark wanted to see what he could get out of this- even if it was just a positive note from Coulson. If he could reveal he was indeed hiding his inner fangirl behind that blank expression, maybe it would make him feel better about himself. Maybe. He put down the laptop on his desk, blocking out Potts’ remarks as he motioned for her to follow him. As he recalled the previous discussion between him and Potts, her interest in the case showing on the laptop made Stark slide his hands outwards, revealing every file the laptop held. Stark blinked, taking in the content with the same shocked expression as Potts.

“You have a lot of homework to do.” Stark looked at Potts, clearly disappointed when he caught onto her wanting to leave.

“Well- what if I didn’t?”

“You mean if you finish?” Stark nodded, feeling slightly more confident at the brief smile that crossed Potts’ lips. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, causing Stark to suddenly feel motivated to immediately brief himself on the laptop’s content. Coulson remained still, giving the two a polite, yet uncomfortable smile. Potts quickly made her leave, and while Stark read over the holograms floating above him, thinking Coulson left with her, he found that after the agent cleared his throat, he was still present.

“Can’t you see I’m working? This is homework, not an exam. You don’t need to supervise me, Agent.”

“I believe you’re fully capable of handling this like an adult, Stark. There’s… something else.” Coulson’s footsteps echoed in the room as he approached, Stark casting him but a glance before turning back to the task at hand. He could see where this was going.

“We have- received some unnatural intel that we’d like you to look into. See if you can make sense of it.” Well that didn’t go how Stark thought it would… More work? He glared at Coulson, sighing audibly as he slapped his hand on his desk to lean on it.

“Don’t you have some qualified department for that kind of thing? Or am I suddenly SHIELD’s personal babysitter?”

“Believe me, we wouldn’t normally ask. But with your extensive knowledge, you surpass some our best scientists- whom for your information could not decipher this at all. Look at the file to the left.” Stark frowned, rolled his eyes before he obediently did as Coulson said. His hand halted over the file as he realized the file, unlike the others were wrapped in wat seemed like a security barrier. The others weren’t, Stark mentally noted, before he quickly waved his hand over the file, detracting the barrier as the file folded open at the motion. Stark’s mouth visibly dropped, Coulson watching his movement before turning to the video clip that played on repeat before them to explain.

“This is considered highly secret even amidst our own. I didn’t want to make Ms. Potts uneasy by showing her this. If you know anything- anything at all that could explain this, you need to inform us immediately.”

“First- tell me. Where did you come across this- because I am fairly sure I know that street-“

“Yes. You own that street, Mr.Stark. It was traced back to video surveillance from the department store ahead of here. We extracted the footage and deleted the proof before anyone could see it. We’re still working to find out if anyone else might have seen it in person.” Stark parted his lips, brows furrowing before he quickly decided to close it again. He pointed absently at the footage as he turned to Coulson.

“You don’t know what this is?” Coulson shook his head regretfully- and Stark felt uneasy at the almost frightened look Coulson seemed to hold as he did. Stark’s eyes glazed over, the video reflecting itself in his eyes as he watched it again.

“This is definitely a little out of my expertise.” A dark-haired woman, young and admittedly pretty by the quick view Stark had on her from the footage showed her staring down a fire-hydrant, before her hand slowly reached out towards it- causing the metal object to start clanking against the bolts that kept it in place. With the flick of her wrist, the hydrant shot up in the air, disappearing from the video’s line of sight as a straight stream of pressurized water followed it, before the woman seemingly came to- shaking her head before running off. The water subsided, dripping along the now cleared space where the hydrant once stood. Stark hovered at the scene for a moment, confused at where the hydrant had gone- before it almost made him jump back as the hydrant suddenly rained down the same path it had shot up from, clearly smashed in pieces by the water that had moved it in the first place.

“Does a fire hydrant usually do that?” Coulson remarked, and Stark frowned at the rhetorical question. No. It didn’t.

“This could be purely coincidence. Did you think of that?”

“We were aware of the possibility, yes. We thought that was the case- until we saw this.” Not bothering to make Stark do it, or for suspense- Stark didn’t know, Coulson had an arm behind his back as the other forwarded the video clip, relieving it with another- taken at nighttime around a nearby district that Stark had once (hah) gone to a strip club in. He brought his hand to his lip, anxiously chewing his nails at the new footage. As it started to repeat, Stark looked away, closing the file before he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Unsettling, isn’t it?”

“Why did you want me to see this?”

“It’s technology. We know it is- we just don’t know what.”

“Well you got my answer. I hope you have her locked up in a straitjacket in some high security facility of yours on-on Mars or something! You’re free to go, Agent.” Stark motioned for the elevator, but Coulson’s expression made him halt in his movement, eyes widening at what Coulson’s face suggested.

“She’s still on the loose isn’t she?”

“We can’t track her. There’s no record that could trace back to her identity. No viral video, no witnesses. At least not yet.”

“And you want me to do your job?”

“No. She’s far too dangerous- we don’t know the extent of what she’s capable of- but the footage leaves little to imagination. We simply ask that you look out for her- have your digital friend notify you if she shows up around here again. Judging from her usual patterns, she seems to favor the parts around here. We have agents placed all over the city on the lookout, but they haven’t found anyone. It’s been two months.” Stark stroked a hand over his chin in thought, another hand at his weight to keep himself standing straight before he nodded absently, wondering how fast he could catch her- because he would. Whatever tech- be it from Earth or somewhere else- he would find her.

“Thank you, Mr.Stark. Have a nice evening.” Coulson dismissed himself, finally disappearing shortly after, leaving Stark to ponder on what he had just seen. She looked far too young to be some kind of wanted criminal from outer space. The terrified look in her eyes when the fire hydrant flew into the air- some kind of runaway experiment? Stark leaned over the desk, sighing to himself as the numerous explanations crossed his mind. Eventually he snapped out of it- and focused on the task at hand. He dreaded the thought of calling off his plans with Potts, but now it seemed he had more work on his hands than he thought. Whoever- or whatever that woman was- she had to be caught.


	2. II - Amelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia gets her name and meets Steve Rogers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains a short, graphic description of death. Don't know how it will affect people, but I choose to warn you in advance anyways. Enjoy!

Two months since she woke up in the middle of the street. She sighed, eyes blinking at the strain of the computer light that irritated her eyes as she scrolled past the numerous missing person cases in front of her. Two months of trying to find out who she was, if someone missed her, to no avail. She sighed even more, frustration settling to anger- slowly calming herself before she did something she might regret. She woke up with no memory of herself- and yet she was fully aware that whatever she found herself able to do- she hadn’t been able to before- whatever her life previously consisted of.

“It’s sad, isn’t it? All these people- wonder how long their family’s missed them.” She jerked back in her seat, hands clasping instinctively at the desk to keep herself from falling off the chair, eyes darting up to see that a tall, muscular man was standing beside her. How long had he been there? He immediately apologized, looking genuinely disapproving of himself for giving her a fright.

“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to scare you. Is there anyone there- anyone you miss I mean?” she mentally frowned at his attempt to pry, equally curious why he cared as to why he wanted to know.

“It’s more like I’m-“ she stopped herself, taken aback by her own attempt at honesty. She had lied her way through two entire months- and now she suddenly felt like she could trust a stranger that creeped up on her in a library? She looked down in defeat, brushing off her own words. “Nothing… I’m just- researching.” She emphasized the last word, hastily looking up to meet the man’s ocean blue eyes- hoping he didn’t see the lie coming forth in her own.

“Oh, right. I get it- college student, yeah?” She blinked.

“Y-yeah. Something like that.” She nodded with a forced smile, unconsciously rocking from side to side in her chair, unable to ask the man to leave her in peace- instead locked into his blue orbs. He smiled, and she realized he was quite handsome. He had soft features- and yet the framed a pair of sharp eyes- that both made her think he was more observant than he let on and also very kind-hearted. Unlike many others she had encountered during her time in her new life, she thought sourly. If she could even consider it that. What kind of life was it, to sit around in libraries all day- trying to find herself while picking up scraps from dumpsters behind grocery stores? At first, when she realized she wasn’t going to find herself very easily. She thought maybe she had always led this kind of life. Maybe there was no family out there waiting for her. But even if that was the case- she was still a person, right? There would have to be a record of her somewhere- something to remind her who she had been.

“What’ your name?” the man asked out of the blue, and she realized she was oddly relieved to find he was still there. How socially deprived was she to want the company of a random guy like him? He looked established- a rich personal trainer that occasionally hung out with a teenage talk group or volunteered at an animal shelter during his free time. She hoped he took her hesitation to tell him as her being cautious, rather than the fact that she had never had to say a name up until now. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Think- think fast- her eyes swiftly looked over her screen, landing on the name of a missing person

“Amy- Amelia!” she cursed herself for saying her name like she was part of some kind of spelling competition. The man furrowed his brows, but didn’t say anything of it. “Amelia” realized she had leaped out of her seat, and she sat herself back down, looking as she mumbled at the screen in front of her.

“My friends just call me Amy. W-what’s yours?” she realized, hopefully not too late, that asking someone their name back was common courtesy. Even if most of the people she had met were unpolite and self-absorbed, it didn’t mean she had to be.

“It’s Steve. Nice to meet you- Amelia.” Amelica smiled, genuinely this time, finding herself shaking Steve’s outreached hand without question. She didn’t expect much from her encounter, but as she left the library, she wondered if the smile it brought to her face might help her look at her situation differently. Maybe it would be easier to live through it, if she didn’t feel so alone… She heard the bell attached to the door ring as she closed it, eyes darting back and forth at the street, before she crossed it over to the other side to search for her next meal. Steve watched her leave, and as the door separated them, he pulled out a phone from his pocket, he quick-dialed, his free hand connecting with his hip as the other line picked up.

“I found her. Yeah- she just left. What do you want me to do?” Steve frowned at the answer, but accepted nonetheless. He put his phone in his pocket as he rushed outside, eyes drifting across the street as he caught strands of familiar dark brown, disheveled hair disappear into an alley. Sprinting over the street, barely able to escape the car swopped past him, he waved a small apology out of habit- before shaking his head at his apparent absence in his mission. Retrieve the woman- and bring her to SHIELD… Steve couldn’t help but worry- but he had seen what she could do. Even if she was as innocent as she seemed- her control of her own abilities was minimal. She had to be contained. Yes. He paced down towards the lean alleyway, sneaking up on the corner as he saw her tipped over a dumpster, completely oblivious to his presence. He slowly made his way towards her, repeating the same thing in his mind over and over as her shape became more clear to him. Yes, he thought, just as his broad hands came in contact with her waist. She had to be contained. Even as she squirmed against his grip, briefly screaming as he pulled her out before a clothed hand blocked her airways and shut her up, he fastened his grip around her, feeling her body go limp in his arms, he filled his mind with that very same thought. For the greater good, he chanted to himself with a nod, before he lifted her up, careful not to hurt her- eyes scanning the road before a black SUV pulled up and the driver rolled down the window to reveal several SHIELD soldiers- armed to the teeth, waiting for him and Amel- _the threat._ He quickly brought her inside, joining her side before he took notice of one of the SHIELD soldiers reporting the incident on his walkie-talkie.

“The threat has been momentarily neutralized and aquired. We’ll bring it to you right away. Get the team ready- it might bite once it wakes up.” _It?_ Steve snapped back from trying to justify what he had done. He looked at the unconscious woman beside her, and noticed how malnourished she really was. Her skin was naturally pale- and yet it seemed much more pale than it should be. Her eyes were sunken, and even as they were open, he realized they had been dark even then. Sapphire blue eyes- and long, dark lashes… He mentally facepalmed for being overly aware of her attractive features. He had practically just kidnapped her. And yet- he looked at her again, eyes tracing over her chapped lips, the ones that had just seemed over with joy to speak with him at the library… Steve looked up at the SHIELD soldier in the front mirror, frowning at the sight before he absently set his eyes on the road ahead of them. _She_ was still human, wasn’t she? Not… _it…_

Stark realized he was the last to board the Helicarrier when he found that all the members he had researched were already assembled inside. When he had arrived at the Helicarrier, Coulson had greeted him, much to Stark’s dismay when he had admittedly stayed up the entire night dreading Coulson’s news on the unknown woman.

“I hope you have some good news for once, Agent. I’ve had it with the superhuman homework. What’s next? Radioactive spiders?” Stark snorted, eyes glancing to Coulson to see that he remained unsurprised. The Agent gave a knowledgeable smile, however- and while that peaked Stark’s interest, he didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“The Cap- I mean, Steve Rogers caught the woman this morning.”

“Capsicle, huh? Instead of saving the damsel in distress- he managed to kidnap her. I have to give it to him, I didn’t know he had it in him.” Coulson seemed oddly struck by Stark’s sentence, looking almost offended in his stead. Stark put the pieces together and brushed off his own words for once, hoping to use Coulson’s obvious respect for Steve Rogers against him in the future. It would make for fun banter- for Stark anyhow. Coulson lead him inside, where Stark eventually ended up in a hallway leading to a meeting room, where he overheard the conversation taking place all the way down the corridor.

_“-that guy’s brain is a bag full of cats.”_

_“I’d care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard- and my brother._

_“He killed 80 people in 2 days.”_

_“He’s adopted?”_ Stark cast Coulson a look, to which he simply shook his head- silently begging Stark not to intervene. The conflict between Thor and Stark last night at the capture of Loki was already too much. They wouldn’t want to piss off another god. And then, of course- there was the woman. According to what little Coulson had mentioned during their walk- the woman had yet to wake up. Stark could only imagine how pressured SHIELD must feel having her in the middle of the Helicarrier, with no means to escape should she prove to have endless possibilities with that power of hers. Stark had been assured, however, that they had means to block out people’s abilities- Stark had yet to see it to believe it. Maybe if she was vaccumpacked and- oh. That’s how they did it. An inverted forcefield that would nullify any contained bigger extent of energy source. He mentally laughed at the invention. Is that how they kept Loki, as well?

_“Iridium- what did they need the iridium for-“_

“Stabilizing agent.” Stark heard his voice chime throughout the room as he entered, gaining everyone’s attention with his entrance as he came. Eyes on him, he explained the reason before he paused catching Thor’s hard gaze- which he wouldn’t dare say actually put him off.

“No hard feelings, Point-Break. You got a mean swing.” Stark tapped the god’s shoulder, before heading straight towards a set of screens- continuing to explain the iridium’s usage before he eventually could oversee the control room beneath them, filled with blue-suited SHIELD employees- all “working” in the name of the organization they were working for.

“Reads SMS- that man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn’t notice- but we did.” Stark watched with hidden amusement as the employees scowled at him for snitching them out- before quickly trying to hide their misdeeds by redirecting the focus on their computers.

“How does Fury see this?” Stark asked more rhetorically, not really expecting an answer as he held a hand across his eye.

“He turns.” Huh. Stark did the same, mentally rolling his eyes at the strain. Hah- eyes. Of course there’d be less strain if he only had one eye.

“Sounds exhausting.” Stark finally turned to the members around the meeting table- quickly fixating his eyes on the members- recalling them all from the research he had done. This was the best SHIELD could come up with? Stark turned to the screens again, gently tapping each one as he, more to himself, debriefed the team behind him, fully expectant the understood what he was aiming for. The SHIELD agent beside them, whom had answered his remark earlier on looked suspicious- but not surprised.

“Since when did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?”

“Since last night.” He answered, as if such a task was as easy as doing the laundry. Further explaining his newfound skills, he eventually earned a proper answer from the Hulk- less known as Bruce Banner.

“What I want to know-“ the Captain chimed, bulky arms crossed over the stars and stripes on his chest as he spoke. “does Loki need any particular kind of power source-“

“He’d have to heat the cube to 120-million Kelvin to break through the Couloumb barrier-“ Stark mentally smiled at the answer, eyes now fixated on the purple shirt fumbling his fingers- he assumed it was a way to calm his own nerves from turning into- well…

“Unless! Selvig has figured out a way to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect.”

“Well if he could do that he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any arc reactor on the planet.”

“Finally- someone who speaks English-“

“Is that what just happened?” Stark ignored the Roger’s remark, stepping over to greet Banner.

“It’s good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.” Stark watched Banner snort slightly at the comment, both ashamed and taken aback by Stark’s sarcasm.

“Thanks.” Before they could talk further, they were suddenly accompanied by Director Fury, who seemed eager to learn about Loki’s ability to put people under mind control. Flying monkeys was it? Stark enjoyed the reference but talking about Loki’s abilities suddenly made him very aware of someone else’s.

“Well, Loki is currently restrained, as we all know. But- what of the waterbender I hear you’ve recently acquired to your collection of outer-space magicians? Debrief me- anyone.” Fury frowned, hands behind his back as he scowled at Stark with the one eye he had. Stark could still feel the glare from his non-existent one as well, but he brushed it off as he sat down across from the others- old habit from dealing with company business.

“I don’t believe she’s a threat.” The Captain spoke, earning a confused look from, not only Stark, but Fury and Natalie as well. Banner didn’t want to get involved with this- he of all people knew what it felt like to be burdened with a power you hardly could control. Thor was the brother of someone who had used his power all the time- if there was anyone trying to be as understanding as possible of someone potentially misusing their power, it was him. Thor was, however, too invested in saving his brother’s skin to care about whatever mortal problem they seemed to be having.

“I understand where this comes from, Captain. But whether or not _you_ believe she is a threat or not, we can’t deny that her powers are dangerous, to say the least.” Fury’s harsh voice rumbled, clearly not pleased with Roger’s comment. The Captain frowned, just about to argue when the Director spoke again, now carefully strolling around them.

“What we’re dealing with, is the unknown. Much like Loki, we are not aware of the extent of their abilities. And much like Loki, you have all seen exactly what that woman is capable of.”

“Her name is Amelia.” The Captain frowned, having heard enough about the clear objectification they seemed to put her under. She wasn’t even here to defend herself- if no one stood up to her, who was to say that SHIELD wouldn’t simply _neutralize_ her for good? Fury blinked, an unread expression on his face before he slowly leaned over the table besides the Captain, one eye staring him down as if he was a child that had just cursed.

“Are you saying we should release her, Captain? Let her roam free to do as she pleases? Before we even know what her purpose is?” the Captain, for once, seemed to sigh in defeat, silently agreeing with Fury’s words. This was not where he was trying to go with this at all.

“I’m just saying- what good will it do to treat her like a prisoner- not even that? Prisoner’s still have rights- as far as I’ve heard- you treat her like she’s not even a human being.”

“Then what do you suggest we do, Captain? She can’t be released for obvious reasons and yet we can’t treat her like a prisoner. Should we lie to her?” Stark rolled his eyes. This was getting too soppy- she was a killer.

“For God’s sake, Capsicle, get a grip.” Stark raised his voice, now standing with frustration as silent eyes fell on him.

“So far, she’s ruined state property and killed a man with her bare hands, so to speak. Not just like that. She skinned a man with a puddle of water warped into her own personal heavy duty water hose! Just imagine what she could do with an ocean of water- not even staying on the Helicarrier could save us then!” the Captain frowned vigorously, angered by Stark’s assumptions, but nevertheless finding himself unable to disagree. Was that was really ticked him off in the first place? He wanted to believe Amelia was a good person- and yet he knew deep down he wasn’t the right person to decide that. Even if she had been friendly at the library. Stark looked up into the ceiling at Roger’s silence, hoping he finally talked some sense into him. He wanted to make some rhetorical remark about his brainfreeze, but refrained from it when he noted the anger flaring from Roger’s eyes.

“What will you do when she wakes up, if I may ask?” Banner fumbled with his words- finding himself stand out by the odd tone in his voice. Did he come off as protective, as well? Truthfully, Banner was shamefully more interested in what they would do to him, should he lose control while on the Helicarrier. They didn’t mention any possible advances for security’s sake, but Banner wasn’t stupid. Bringing him along an enclosed space in the air? They’d have to have some kind of solution for him if something were to happen.

“We won’t unnecessarily harm her, if that’s what you mean. But I hope you will all attempt to do what _is_ necessary, should the situation swirl out of control.” Fury closed the discussion at that, dismissing himself and the team to whatever assignments they were given. Before he could leave, however, a voice made him halt.

“Where are you restraining her to keep her out of harms way, exactly?” Fury looked at Banner, instantly realizing where he wanted to go with this. He should have known it would be hard to hide something so obvious from a renown scientist.

“We didn’t expect her arrival- so she’s locked in with Loki at the time…”

“ _What?!"_


	3. III - Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia meets Loki for the first time. (:3)

To say Loki was surprised when they had suddenly tossed a woman inside his temporary residence would be an understatement. Judging from the high security effort they went into securing this- pod he resided in, it was obviously meant for who Agent Barton called the Hulk. Dr. Banner… For a moment, Loki had wondered if that was her. Such a frail-looking mortal- that could hardly be the case? He couldn’t see anything special about her. But then he had overheard the guards talking about what seemed like her recent escapades.

_“Why did we put a woman in there? Does he get lovesick or something?”_

_“Who knows. But no, we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t necessary. It’s some top-secret thing, even within SHIELD. I overheard a scientist talking about running tests on her- she has like this water thing- I don’t even know. I don’t want to know. I just heard that whatever she has, she can kill a man like- this.”_ The guard had snapped his finger rapidly, earning an almost startled look from the other man. Loki had smiled to himself, overcome with possibilities as he stared at the woman sleeping soundlessly on the bench integrated into the other side of the pod. Even if he didn’t get the Hulk- maybe fate willed his escape and victory all the same. What he once considered a worthless mortal- seemed to suddenly spark his interest. He wondered, as he caught her fingers shifting weakly against the rest of her almost paralyzed form. What secrets did this one hide?

This wasn’t the first time she had opened her eyes to a place unknown to her. Every morning, for the last two months, she had scrambled the streets for food, waking up to the see the same alley looking down at her. But even the familiarity of coming back to the same paperboard being sprawled out onto the ground, sometimes wet from the rain and other times of liquids that remained unknown, didn’t seem to earn her a sense of belonging. She wanted to think it was the people, the unwelcoming stares and the hidden pity they gave her, that made her feel that way, but deep down- there was something denying her existence in the world. She didn’t belong in New York- because whatever she had been a part of in her life, it hadn’t been centered around that city. Now this- she thought as her eyes blinked at the enclosed space she had woken up to- this was more familiar… It brought a shiver down her spine to feel more at home now than she had ever felt before. She breathed through the overwhelming thoughts that stormed her mind- bolting up from whatever surface she had been sleepi- wait.

“Where am I?” her voice finished for her- an automatic response to something she felt she wouldn’t get an answer to. At least, not yet. She was trapped. Her legs followed the movement of her upper body, raising her level of vision as the enclosed space formed into a rail of windows circled around her. Some kind of pod? What the hell had she gotten herself into? Her legs wobbled from the lack of use, indicating she had been unconscious for a longer period of time, as she made her way towards the pod’s seamless walls. She touched the light surface, dread washing over her face. This was a deliberate construction- meant to keep anyone inside from leaving. There was no obvious space for a door, which meant it could only be opened from the outside- she had been put in there somehow. But that still didn’t answer why she was there in the first place. She slid down the wall with a defeated sigh, wary of how her legs seemed to give out on her. When she turned, however, she was tempted to shoot straight back up. A dark-clothed man was seated apart from her, pale and bruised hands folded in his lap. She noticed his outfit was stitched together by fine black leather, along with a green, soft-looking material that seemed to make out what looked like a long coat. Golden adorning followed the simple, yet elegant pattern of it, the pieces of it strapped onto his outfit to resemble some kind of primitive-looking protective gear. From what she could tell, it looked unfinished- as if there was more to it gone missing. Her eyes followed the leather on his chest- before she inhaled a breath, startled by meeting the man’s dark, yet piercing, icy blue orbs. Pitch black, disheveled hair framed the man’s sharp features, making him even more malicious than his eyes seemed to make him out to be. An almost inhuman snarl escaped the man’s lips, further managing to push her body back into the wall. As if that would help, she was trapped inside with her strange inmate until whomever had put them there were to appear. If he kept looking at her like that- maybe she wouldn’t live to see it.

“You’re finally awake.” She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until it barely escaped her at the man’s voice. An English-like accent followed the pronunciation of his words. And while it should have eased her mind that he even chose to speak before proceeding with whatever unimaginable things she could think of him doing, it only made her more aware of the wicked intent that laced every meaning behind his observation of her.

“You must be confused.” The man was impatient, she noted, as her lack of answer had in propped on his feet, the dark aura around his form following him as he slowly strolled towards her. “You clearly have no clue where you are, or why you are here.” She almost weeped as he crouched before her, now so close she could feel a breeze of cold air hitting her face as his coat briefly flapped against his leather boots. The material creaked against her ear, further increasing her heart rate as her wide eyes flickered onto the strange man, fear preventing her from meeting his eyes again.

“Well, let me enlighten you, dear.” The man gave a forced, ominous smile, wrinkles protruding on the outline of his almond-shaped eyes. For a moment, she mistook his smile as a way to soothe her, but they way his smile just as quickly disappeared was enough to make her flinch.

“You are- a _murderer…_ ”

“H-how do you know about t-that?” she wanted to run away- her body screaming to have her limbs move away from the sheer intimidation this man expressed with the tone of his voice- the low whisper he spoke in forcing a tension to ache every muscle in her. The man suck a deep breath at her stutter- immediately causing her to regret asking in the first place.

“It is hardly a well-kept secret. It is the reason why you are here, after all.” He cocked his head to the side, eyes widening and lips pouting into what resembled a try at sympathy for her situation. She frowned, a sense of bravery- or stupidity coming over her as she hauled herself up from the floor, following the man’s eyes as he stood back, a keen look on his face as he watched her stand. Without recognizing the acute subconsciousness in her voice, she spoke.

“If that’s the case, then what does that make you?” she imitated his slick choice of words perfectly, cooing at him as whatever took a hold of her, had her stand with her back straight, hands folding carefully behind her back. He caught her deception at trying to seem fearless rather easily but chose to play with the two-way interrogation that seemed to fold out between them.

“I am but a tiny inconvenience for the mortals that led me here.” She furrowed her brows at the sarcasm laced in his voice, wondering what possessed her to want to find out more about what laid behind this man’s scorching glare at the mention of his captors- _her_ captors. It occurred to her, that they were afraid. They had seen what she could do- what she _had done_ to the man in New York, and that’s why she was here. Whatever the tall man in front of her was capable of, she could tell it was much more than he let on.

“And who would that be?” the dark-haired figure repeated one of his smiles, a known characteristic to the man’s way of being at this point, parting his lips to speak before he halted, eyes skipping off to whatever distracted him into the distance behind her.

“I believe you will soon learn, mortal-“

“Stand back from the prisoner, Loki!” she turned around, eyes widening as a familiar face came to sight, the flashes of a blue suit catching her eyes before she was too enraged to notice his strange costume.

“You!” she slapped her hands against the glass that separated them, gritting her teeth, too distracted by the deceit she realized she had been fooled into to notice how her hands stung from the violent impact. The fact that he eyed her carefully, holding his hand up in a calming manner, only seemed to provoke her even more.

“Amelia- I-“

“No!” she screamed at the false name she had given him. It angered her that she had thought to trust a stranger- to even give him the pleasure of adding some kind of closure to her life by forcing a name out of her. She realized she considered herself a person because of him. In that brief moment she went to the alley, she had felt like someone. But then two hands had whisked her away from it- _his_ hands… He took it all before she could even register that she had felt it in the first place. “ _You_ did this! _You_ don’t get to call me that!” she tried to calm herself, breathing heavily onto the glass before she looked back up, squinted eyes meeting his wide ones as the words chocked their way out of her. “It’s not even a real name.” she snorted, the regret of her meeting with him causing her to almost fall out of a state you could call sane, into whatever his appearance had made her into. She forced a laugh- still looking at the troubled expression on Steve’s face. “But you know what- I didn’t like about the friends part. Only my friends get to call me Amelia, and _you-_ “ Amelia leaped into a fit, slapping her hands against the glass again, causing a rumble to erupt from the spot, the release of energy forcing its way around the walls of the pod. “ARE NOT A FRIEND!” Steve backtracked, chest heaving at the sight before his eyes shortly met with Loki’s amused ones. With a hateful frown, Steve clicked at the earpiece resting around his earlobe, calling for backup as he watched the pod struggle against Amelia’s apparent show of strength. He hated to admit it- but she was a threat. He knew that beforehand, but he didn’t want to believe she was a danger to them. He wanted to believe she could be a teammate. Was it really that foolish to consider it? Her- as flawed and unstable as she seemed at the moment- an Avenger?

“Loki- he’s not your friend either. I saw the look in your eyes, Amelia. You didn’t want to kill that man. Loki- his every intention is to kill whoever gets in his way.” Steve felt a wave of relief wash over him as Amelia seemed to calm at his words, her eyes widening into a look of regret. Her hands clasped at the glass between them, and her body shifted as she leaned towards it. Through flaring teeth, she started to breathe normally under his gaze. He mistook the stance for an opportunity to close in, and he looked down at the frail woman, noticing how tears seemed to want to spring from her eyes when she met his gaze.

“I- don’t understand how I did it, Steve.” He gave a small, sympathetic smile at the mention of his name. She looked down in what appeared to be a notion of despair, a show of how appalled she seemed at her own actions. But then she looked up again, tears gone- replaced with a stern look that caused Steve to shrink back. “But do you really think I _regret_ what I did?” Steve wanted to nod, wanted to tell Amelia she wasn’t a monster. When she looked at him like that- he wasn’t sure what to think anymore. “He was going to-“ she paused, and for a moment, he saw the weakness in her, a terrified look that gave him a dismayed sense of relief again. It meant she _was_ human, after all. “-I just didn’t think I

would _kill_ him…” with that, Amelia fell back, exhausted by her own confession. Her hands slipped from the glass, causing Steve to almost want to grab her hand, if it hadn’t been for the wall in front of her. She settled for the surface she had woken up on, before the sudden clashing of metal getting louder and louder caught her attention. She panicked at the group of black-clad armed men that showed, her body shaking as she pulled herself back into the enclosed space around her. She caught _Loki,_ the man beside her sitting back down with grace, a discontent look on his face when he noticed the soldiers.

“You really think I’m that dangerous?” she knew the answer to that question. She just didn’t want to believe she was born some kind of freak to nature, homicidal international threat. Steve cast her a look, as if reading her thoughts.

“Stand down! She’s not a threat!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Steve flickered his eyes towards the men, who just as swiftly as they had appeared stood to form a clear line towards Loki and Amelia’s cell, where a familiar voice led to the unexpected entrance of none other than the one-eyed director. Steve parted his lips to argue- before the Director curtly made him stand down with the swift move of his hand. Steve looked down with a sigh of defeat, brows furrowed as he waited for Fury’s final words. To his surprise, Fury gave a nod to the SHIELD soldiers, before he approached the lever to the cell.

“However-“ he prompted, just as he pulled the orange lever, the sound of heavy metal lifting as the door to the cell creaked at the mechanics pulling it open. “-I’m willing to give this woman the benefit of the doubt.” Steve’s eyes shot towards Amelia as two soldiers went inside the cell, quickly pulling her out while the others stood by with loaded guns at the other prisoner in that cell. As she exited, the cell closed shut, and Steve smirked briefly at the so-called god from outer space, earning a disapproving frown from the man he aimed it at.

“Enjoy your time, Loki. At least now you can spend it all on your own.”

“How hospitable you are, _Captain_. I am surely looking forward to it when the mortal bans this aircraft to the depths of Hel.” Steve scoffed at Loki’s threat, returning it with a forced smile before he followed the soldiers as they disappeared alongside Fury and Amelia. Loki watched them leave, before he fell back into the same position he had been sitting in ever since his arrival. He found himself looking at the empty space where the woman had once sat. _Amelia,_ was it? Loki snorted, eyes remaining locked on the white bench that integrated along the wall. _Curious._


	4. IV - Candidate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia meets the future Avengers and gets an explanation of where she is and why she is there.

“Where are you taking me?” she mumbled under her breath. Whatever had possessed her before, it had escaped her the second she was met with the dark eyes of whom she assumed was the leader of the place that she was held captive. That man turned his eye to her, in the process revealing the black eye patch that covered his other one.

“Questions later. For now we’re transferring you to an isolated room to freshen up- under strict supervision of course- as I am sure you understand.” She frowned, imagining what the leader meant by his words. The change from being a hidden citizen of a city she was starting to get the feeling of not actually belonging in, to having her kidnappers, who had yet to identify themselves expose her to the fullest. She knew what she looked like, underneath the tan linen shirt she had woken up in, alongside the torn jeans and the muddy jacket she had acquired shortly after realizing she wouldn’t stay inconspicuous by looking like a run-away nut case. How ironic that she started out looking like a prisoner and now she found herself being one. If there was a god, why had he planned to punish her so? What was she really, asides from being a dangerous deformity of nature?

“It’s gonna be okay, Amelia.” Steve’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she mentally growled at the man as she cast him a glare.

“I told you- you are not a friend of mine.”

“For the record- you did say your friends called you _Amy._ ” The smugness of Steve’s slightly upturned smile made her blush as she was caught in her own lie. She let out a frustrated groan, so distracted by her own inability to remember her words, she almost had a whip-lash when the soldiers holding her by her arms came to a sudden halt.

“Careful, prisoner.” One of them spat as he tightened his grip around her forearm, causing the friction on her skin to throb painfully against his touch. She bit the inside of her mouth to contain a hiss, before eyeing the man with a hardened look.

“Maybe you should be careful. As I recall, I am here because I’m dangerous. Why do you think I won’t simply kill you right here and now?”

“Because if you really wanted to harm us, you would have already.” The leader joined their conversation, abruptly ending her anger towards the soldier when she was caught off guard by the sudden clarity following the leader’s intimidating gaze. “Besides, I heard your lecture with the Captain. You had reason to defend yourself. That is why you are here, you know. If you could control your powers, you’d be a powerful asset.” The soldiers seemed taken aback by the leader’s words, and she quickly realized it was an idea he hadn’t shared with the others.

“Your colleagues seem to disapprove. I thought you kidnapped me to keep me from hurting anyone else?”

“Like I said, I will attempt to answer any questions you might have later. With the knowledge that you will answer any of mine.”

“Why should I? You kidnapped me. If I had a lawsuit you’d be put down by the media instantly. I have rights!” she knew she didn’t stand a chance. She even tried to convince herself she had any value, why would these people think of her any differently than she herself did? Her kidnappers were evidently a well-organized group of people. They had the assets to bring her here in the first place, and judging by the looks of the building she was trapped in, they had access to technology equal to NASA, and she imagined any secret operation the government might have supported. She snorted mentally at her own thought. Of course.

“I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that. You already know why you are here. This will be your new quarters for now. Get some new clothes on and call for the guards. Then, we’re going to have a long chat, you and I.” despite the fear that seemed to linger in her mind at the uncertainty of it all, she found herself nodding hesitantly, unable to defy the older man. He reached his hand out to an open door, before she was quickly pushed inside. Before she could register the motion, the soldiers backed away from her, disappearing from her line of sight as the door closed in front of her, the sound of it clicking in place an eerie reminder that she was still just a prisoner. Steve’s playfulness, the leader’s optimism about her powers made her feel as though she would be free once this was all over. Unlike the leader, she wasn’t as wishful. Exactly how long was she going to be trapped here? Like he said, she was ultimately just a possible _asset_. Assets weren’t people- they had no need of freedom. She sighed heavily, eyes widening to the point where tears threatened to leak from them as she grabbed the garments that were laid out neatly for her inside the small room, subconsciously aching at the odd familiarity her situation brought her.

The fabric creaked against her skin as she pulled it on, finishing what surprisingly turned out to be a completely normal outfit. She had half-expected an orange jumpsuit up until the point when she saw the clothes stacked out for her. There was a floor to wall mirror by a still empty bed, the only thing in place being an industrial-looking mattress. Made to be produced in size. She slowly approached it, watching a brown leather jacket slowly descend onto her shape as she adjusted it. A black tank top along with a skin-tight, yet comfortable set of equally dark tights adorned the rest of her tall, curvy frame. They were made for moving in. Were they going to put her through intensive training, or something? She looked down at the shin-height leather combat boots wrapped around her feet. She felt a soft interior against her socks as she wiggled her toes around in them, which seemed to bring a smile to her face at the warmth they provided. Her eyes blinked in accordance with the sight that left her parted lips as she took one last glance at herself. She tried to flatten out her hair, briefly wondering why her “quarters” didn’t seem to have any way she could was herself, before she made a clear “oh” face. They took every precaution to prevent anything from happening, didn’t they? She shook her head, before she heard her own voice calling out to the guards. They quickly retrieved her, cautiously holding onto her again as they brought her along another set of corridors, which eventually led to a large, open space, occupied only by a large round table in the middle- and apparently the numerous people that were sat around it. With all eyes squinted at her, she found herself chuckling at the attention. The soldiers were dismissed as the leader waved his hand, and she was left tucking her hands self-consciously into the pocket of her jacket.

“Well this is a surprise. I thought the FEDs were going to give me my last rites or something, but instead I’m met with the knights of the round table.”

“She’s got spunk. Clear villain sign!” she didn’t expect to be met with smiles and waves, but she was caught off guard when the dark-haired, bearded man seated in front of her suddenly shot a pointed finger at her. The others seemed disapproving of his comment, but clearly lacked the knowledge to argue against him. Steve was there too, arms crossed over his chest as he sat with a red-haired woman on one side, and a blonde man, whose intricate outfit she instantly recognized. He seemed to look at her oddly when she noticed she was staring absently at him.

“Sit down, Stark. You too.” the bearded man, Stark, a name she recognized from somewhere rolled his eyes at the leader before he plopped back down into his seat. She approached the table, inching away from the rest by grabbing the closest chair at the far end of the table, apart from the people she had cast eyes upon. She cringed, feeling their eyes follow her movements with caution, though not surprised if they looked at her like a ticking bomb. She sighed the minute she sat down, only then noticing how exhausted she was despite having practically just woken up in the cell she shared with Loki. She folded her hands upon the table, considering it a gesture of peace between them, hoping they would see it that way as well. They were obviously convinced whatever power she had lied within her hands. For now, letting them believe that might be best.

“Now- I’m sure you’re wondering why you are here- though I believe Loki managed to beat us to it telling you.” She recalled the brief encounter with the black, green-clad man, biting her lip anxiously at the memory. _His_ words- she did remember.

“He said I was a murderer. Murderers usually end up in a normal prison-cell. I guess you’ve all been informed that I’m apparently not just _normal?”_ she dreaded the discussion her words might initiate, but she hoped they’d see reason enough to cooperate by letting them all speak peacefully. Her heart was already pounding so fast, she was afraid to admit that she didn’t know what would happen if it leaped out of control. Would her powers follow it, just like it had at that time?

“It’s hard to miss, whatever you can do. Next time you might want to escape the surveillance cameras.” The red-haired woman spoke, her voice equally soft as it was hard. She appeared calm and collected, and yet there was no denying she held the same cautious glare that the others seemed to hold. For a moment, she wondered if they all knew about the circumstances behind the man’s sudden demise, before she realized it didn’t really matter. She had still- _killed_ him…

“If I intended there to be a next time, I might heed your advice.” The woman seemed to contain a brief smile, her sharp eyes flickering towards her before she seemed to look back down in thought.

“Now, I told you there’d be questions. Are you prepared to give an answer?” the leader leaned forward in his seat. She scoffed under her breath. Prepared? No. She already knew that half of what they would be asking in this unlikely interrogation would only lead to more questions, if she even had the ability to answer them. What they didn’t know, she probably didn’t know either.

“I was under the impression that there would be answers for me here, as well. Are you prepared to give them?” she imitated the leader’s words and tone, and he furrowed his brows at her.

“Of course. First things, first. What’s your name?” she leaned back in her seat with a distressed expression. The first question and it was already too difficult to give. The leader noticed her motion, briefly mistaking it for an attempt to not cooperate.

“Is that too hard for you? Or are you hard of hearing?” she frowned, feeling pressured by his condescending tone. Was it really too hard to consider all options? To give her the easy way out by asking her if she even had a name? The leader’s glare persisted, and she sighed with defeat. Of course it was.

“I- I don’t remember.” She stuttered, though clear in her voice. The others seemed to widen their eyes at the answer, though Stark only rolled his, obviously not believing her. He seemed to want to protest, before the leader spoke out again.

“Then what do you remember?” she thought of an answer, wondering how much was necessary to explain and how much she would rather leave out.

“As far as I know, my life started two months ago.”

“And you have no recollection of anything- anything at all before that?”

“Nope. I’m just a blank sheet of paper-“

“You mean a stained record. You’re not exactly clean, Jane Doe.” Stark commented, still wary of her as he cut her off. Stark- right, now she remembered. She smiled almost wickedly at him.

“And you are, Mr.Stark?” he fell pale at that, sighing as he looked away. She silently emphasized with him. He had owned a weapons company for years and, his words, seen first-hand what they were capable of and had done in the past. She knew she only used her words to silence him for a moment. If he was as eccentric as the media made him out to be, he wouldn’t be for long. But maybe enough for her to make some sense of what world she had woken up into.

“I suppose you will indulge me in your names, too?”

“Of course. But we need to know what to call you- even if you have no recollection of what your true name is. What is it, the name you made up on a whim for the Captain, or something else?” the leader seemed to be the head of the discussion, making her wonder why the others were involved at all. Steve, Stark- what did they all have in common for them to be rendered important enough for such an organization that remained unknown to her? Were they all part of its leadership, or were they the emergency force in case she tried to wreak havoc upon them?

“I suppose that will do. For now, just call me Amelia.”

“Very well.” The leader suddenly stood up, hands folding behind his leather-clothed back as he started to stroll thoughtfully around the table. The similarity was uncanny to the man she wondered was still left in the cell, but before she could dwell on it, the leader continued. “I am Fury, Director of SHIELD- the operation in which you now have set foot in. These people around you are all part of an initiative of mine to save the world from outer invasions.” Fury, as he called himself halted behind Stark’s chair. “This is, as you seem to recognize, the head of Stark Industries, Tony Stark.” Stark craned his head back at Fury with a confused expression, that seemed to try to hide the humor behind his voice as he spoke.

“What, that’s it? Not, Iron Man- _The_ Iron Man- Earth’s mightiest Avenger-“ Fury shot him a warning look, before continuing down the row of people on Stark’s side. “Bruce Banner, renown scientist.” The scientist smiled briefly, earning a small tug of the lips from Amelia as he waved awkwardly, the polar opposite to Stark who seemed to thrive in the attention Fury gave them. Fury motioned a hand towards the other end of the table, where the remaining three, including Steve sat.

”You know him as Steve Rogers-“

“Just Steve- and occasionally Captain _and_ my number one kidnapper.” Amelia admitted she was still sour about Steve fooling her. The first person she found herself almost instantly trusting turned out to be the worst of them all- especially when he drugged her and brought her to some unknown location where Amelia ended up in some outer-space cell with a man that was equally handsome as he seemed naturally wicked. How could she ever forget his name?

“Just Steve- is also known as Captain America. He brought you here under SHIELD’s orders.” Steve refrained from saying anything, though his eyes seemed to suggest otherwise as he eyed her with an apologetic look. Amelia stuck her nose in the air, eyes lingering on the woman and the oddly-dressed blonde.

“That is Natasha Romanoff, part of SHIELD- and lastly-“ Fury lingered, Amelia just managing to lay her eyes off the redhead and onto the blonde before he suddenly spoke what was meant to be Fury’s line.

“I am Thor of Asgard, my lady. Son of Odin, and rightful heir to the throne.” Lady? Amelia almost scoffed, before she recognized the names the blonde, red-caped man was announcing as if it was 1800’s literature.

“Thor- God of Thunder?” Thor smiled acknowledgingly, earning a breath of astonishment from Amelia as she rested her thumb and index finger along her chin.

“You’re Loki’s brother.”

“You seem educated about the mythology your mortals have adapted.”

“I do, don’t I?” Amelia leaned back in her seat, intrigued by Thor’s words. “But as far as I recall, Loki was a redhead- and a goblin-looking thing. You know- like Rumpelstiltskin?” Amelia watched Thor’s smile instantly drop into a straight line, as he seemed taken aback by her statement. In the corner of her eye, she could see Stark struggling to contain what seemed to be laughter. Why- what had Loki done? Wait- why did she seem so cool with the fact that these gods were seemingly real in the first place?

“Well I can assure you, you mortals may have let the imagination run wild forming your views on us.” Thor recollected himself, hoping to regain some kind of respect from everyone at the table, including Amelia, as he spoke. He had been with Selvig enough to learn some of the numerous disturbing images the Norse had conjured up about him and his brother.

“Well- you and Thor may speak later if you wish. For now, it’s your turn to answer, Ms. Amelia.”

“Right.” Lost in thought staring at Thor while she chewed on her nail, Amelia snapped out of it to meet Fury’s eyes as he spoke up. He almost seemed to want to roll his eyes at her getting distracted but prompted not to as he went back to his seat.

“We want to know what you can do. Or at least, what you _know_ you can do. I hope you understand my hesitation to an actual demonstration, seeing as we are thousands of feet above water as of this very moment.”

“Wait- I thought this was a building?” Amelia almost dragged the table with her as she jerked up from her seat with excitement, looking to Fury for confirmation to see from the large window that pictured the blue sky before them. He sighed but didn’t object. Amelia almost giddily skipped towards it, hands landing on the railing as she noticed there was a control room full of people on their computers beneath them. Looking out, she saw the vast horizon of an endless blue sky, her senses lingering on her skin to warn her of the water singing below them. This was an aircraft- not a building. They were above the sea- but which?

“Wow- this is…” she mumbled, not meaning for her excitement to leak from her lips.

“Quite the sight. What can you do with all the water below us, Ms. Amelia?” Right. Amelia’s smile faltered, the strange beating of her heart casing a stinging pain to shoot through her chest. She let her hands fall from the metal railing, one of them still lingering on it as she looked back at Fury.

“I tried, you know. I walked down to the harbor, where I knew there would be a substantial water supply after I realized what I had done with the firehydrant. Whatever my powers came from, it’s too weak to alter great masses of water.”

“How much water do you need to make an impact, then?” Amelia realized that was the question they all dreaded. It only made her snort, earning a confused look from Fury. She drew her mouth in a line as she looked back at the ocean.

“I can’t kill you with a drop of sweat, if that’s what you’re worrying about. I need a substantial amount of connected molecules to alter its strength. But I don’t need an ocean of it. I presume you saw me- that night. A puddle is enough- but like Stark said, it’s not clean. With the firehydrant, the water seemed to disintegrate it. The puddle didn’t.”

“Well I’d say _he_ was disintegrated enough, wasn’t he?” Stark remarked, mocking Amelia’s words. She looked at him in awe, wondering how confident he really was. If there was a water source nearby she could reach, would anyone notice?

“Perhaps. But I hope this helps you understand. The water makes a sound, when it’s strong enough. It needs a particular kind of sound for it to work- you know how different amount of water in vine glasses makes the surface ring with a different tone when you stroke your hand over it?” the others seemed to nod, clearly having their minds on other thoughts than knowing what went behind her power. That was Fury’s wish to know- not theirs, she could tell. The scientist seemed to heed her words carefully, no wonder since he was probably more of an expert than herself when she started talking about the components of the water she controlled.

“Water can turn into other forms- can you control that too?” the scientist said, as if on cue, almost startling her as she had been looking right at him when he spoke. She shook her head instantly.

“No. I tried warping it however way I could, but unless it’s in its liquid form, I can’t touch it.”

“What do you mean, can’t touch it?” Banner continued, his enthusiasm making Amelia want to smile almost sadly. Too bad she was going to be a prisoner alongside these guys.

“I would show you, but that requires trust that I believe you’re not ready to give.” Banner nodded understandingly, evidently let down by the lack of demonstration. His eyes were calculating as he took in her theories, Amelia wondering if he could help her understanding her powers, if he had the chance.

“Would you- test me?” Amelia locked eyes with Fury, and he craned his head back with confusion.

“Test you?”

“Yes- run tests on me, you can do that, right? M-maybe if you found something that could explain this- I could find out who I was?”

“It’s an intriguing idea, but are you sure what you’re asking?” Fury seemed to think through her proposal, and Amelia hesitated on his response with a similar expression on her face.

“Is this really the best course of action, right now?” Amelia would have snarled at Stark, if it wasn’t for the fact that she was surprised it took him this long to speak up again. Fury nodded his head, having snapped out of his thoughts.

“I believe it is. If she is to join the initiative, it would be good to know what she is capable of, before you can call her a trustworthy teammate.”

“What?! You want _her_ to be an Avenger- that’s just absurd!” Avenger? Amelia looked at Stark, wondering what he was running his mouth about that everyone else seemed to be aware of. She was to be an asset- surely at least they knew about that- even if the SHIELD soldiers didn’t? Judging from the surprised looks on their faces, she couldn’t’ have been more wrong.

“Well, I mean you’re here, Tony. How bad can it be?” Natasha wiggled in her seat, eyes meeting Stark’s as he opted for an argument.

“I am Iron Man. Not some defect water nymph. I know what I’m doing.” Natasha rolled her eyes at Stark’s remark, while Amelia frowned at how offended she was of his degrading nickname.

“I see no harm in letting this Lady of Midgard join our battles eventually.” Thor landed a heavy smile onto her at the impact of his last word, earning a small tug of her lips as she returned his broad smile.

“Thor- what happens if you swing the hammer down at water directed by Amelia?” suddenly, the room became very quiet, everyone turning to the voice that spoke, including Amelia. Thor looked at Steve with wide eyes, that were suddenly overcome by realization as he turned to her again with a glint in his eyes she was scared to decipher. He gave a broad smile as his dark voice rumbled throughout the room.

“A victory.”


	5. V - Divided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia is able to demonstrate her powers, much to SHIELD's dismay as she and the other Avengers are caught up in a quarrel with Director Fury. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos <3 It means a lot to see that someone enjoys my work! I've been working on this story for along time, making up and changing things as I go, so I'm hoping that eventually people will come to love it as I do :-) (I am hoping for more Loki/Amelia action soon- the slowburn is just so... slow.)

“So what exactly is it you guys are fighting?” Amelia felt her voice fading, her eyes locked on the white ceiling above as she laid back comfortably in a white leather chair inside a room of lab equipment that made her want to shrink at how she had tried to explain how water molecules worked a few days ago. It was nearing a week now. A week since she met the Avengers and started watching Banner analyze her own DNA, while he multitasked by seeing to and scribbling about what they called Loki’s scepter. Amelia snorted at how wrong it sounded to call it that- something which earned the scientist’s as he turned his attention from the golden staff that rested on the table before him, several wires leading to nowhere attached to it.

“As of now, it’s Loki and his brainwashed minions. They’re still out there, working for him. The others may think we have him under control now that he’s locked in a cell here, but some of us are more wary than that. No one just gives themselves up like he did- especially not someone of his background and current agenda.”

“What- he’s practically a god that can use any kind of magic that defies the logic we’ve all grown up learning isn’t real? Psssh, I’m sure us mere mortals could take him on easily.” Banner chuckled slightly at her sarcasm, though he allowed himself little time for banter as he continued to write off analyzations of the scepter.

“You know it doesn’t sound right.”

“I’m aware. At least I can see what it is exactly I’m researching.”

“Yeah- if I didn’t know better I’d say it was the kind of movie you bought from the really creepy salesman at the video store no one would admit they went to.” Banner scoffed, a lingering sound of disgust an amusing sound to Amelia as she smiled at his reaction. Most of her days had went like this, making short and useless conversation with Banner as she was hooked up on several wires, the same way the scepter was. Banner would check on her as well, having a break-through every now and then that sometimes left them with more questions to be answered when they solved the one. Banner concluded almost instantly after reading her analysis that whatever her power came from, it had been injected. She hadn’t been born with it. But that left the question as to who or what in their right state of mind would do that to her. Amelia suggested she was a failed experiment, which would explain the shitty clothes and the amnesia as she suddenly woke up in the middle of nowhere. Banner startled her slightly by saying that if she had run away, she was lucky SHIELD found her before they did. Her life before this- hadn’t involved adapting to this power, and yet she seemed to synchronize fully with it. But Banner also seemed to understand more of the science behind her state than she did. He explained it with heavy words, which often cause misunderstandings between them. He didn’t know how to say it in a way to understand, because he had never come across anything to compare it to. He had yet to see her demonstrate her use with water, however- and he reckoned he would understand more when that time came. Amelia sighed, shifting in her seat. Even if her powers should have been the only thing bothering her, that wasn’t the case. She kept wondering if her unfortunate inmate was doing okay. She blamed it on psychology. The same way some birds were instantly attached to the first being they saw, she was the same with Loki. He was the first to greet her when she woke up in this place she had recently learned was the Helicarrier. Although he wasn’t kind, she couldn’t for the sake of it imagine him as pure evil, either. She wondered, if he had put a spell on her. Tricked her. From what she had heard, that was exactly what he had done before, and seemed to want to do again, if given the chance.

“Sup, Moses.” Amelia shifted her gaze towards the entrance to the lab, where Stark came rushing in balancing a screwdriver in his hand, dressed casually for his time in the room. Stark had become more tolerable over the week, instead of scowling at her, he chose to avoid looking her in the eye instead. He greeted her and occasionally joined her and Banner’s banter, but other than that he seemed to steer clear of her. This day was going to be different however. Amelia knew the minute she saw Stark spin around after greeting Banner, heading straight towards Amelia’s chair before he carefully pulled out the wires attached to her.

“You ready for your big day?” Amelia parted her lips in confusion, mumbling a what corresponding to Stark’s words. He motioned for her to get out of the chair, which she hesitantly complied to.

“We’re gonna have a field day at the water park.”

“We are?” Banner, who was previously occupied with the scepter folded his hands together awkwardly, a notion Amelia had observed came from his apparently almost constant anxiety from turning into the Hulk. Yet something else Amelia didn’t understand the possibilities behind, she had felt slightly relieved when he revealed how being Hulk made him feel. She wasn’t alone in that trail of thoughts. It was almost like Russian roulette, where every minute counted until your time was up and you blew up something at the minute you least expected it.

“Well, we deserve a break, don’t we? Besides, JARVIS is taking care of, you know what. It’s gonna take some time.” Banner nodded, putting down his glasses with an unreadable expression on his face. What were they up to, she wanted to ask, but the grim look on their faces repelled her question. Some things were left better to not know about. She was just relieved Stark, the one who was originally the most against her, seemed to have a change of heart. Banner approached them with hastened steps, Stark turning on his heel just as Banner halted beside them. Amelia eyed the scientist for a moment before the promptly chose to follow the eccentric billionaire to an almost empty, wide room, the only things decorating it being a small collection of training gear. The space itself was strongly fortified, and she realized it was made for practicing strong equipment. She just wasn’t sure how much the room could take from her particular skillset.

“How much water do you need, exactly?” Banner chimed, his hands once again coming in contact with each other as he scanned his surroundings. Stark raised a finger to wait, earning a confused look from Amelia, as she was sure she would be the one to answer that question.

“Judging from your very impressive display in both footages we’ve come across- and Doc’s research on you, I-“ he paused for suspension, before his hands slapped against a blue water barrel that had been purposely moved into the middle of the room. “have come to the conclusion that this is the perfect amount!” Amelia gave a small hint of a smirk, unsure of whether to approach the barrel now or wait for their permission. What they were doing was dangerous. Hopefully, for their own good, they were aware of that.

“Since when did you become so shy- come on!” Stark raised his voice enthusiastically. Amelia snapped out of her thoughts, sighing heavily to shake off her nerves before she walked to stand in front of him, the water barrel dividing them. Banner soon joined Stark’s side as they eyed the woman in front of them.

“So how do you want this to go down exactly, Mr.Stark?”

“Just do your thing- try avoid killing us in the process.”

“Alright- do yourself a favor and stand back. I can control the strength of it, not control where it goes.” Stark crossed his arms over his chest and walked backwards, bringing Banner along with him to watch Amelia’s power unfold. She took a deep breath, eyes flickering from the two men in front of her, back to the water singing the perfect octave under her nose.

“Here goes nothing.” Amelia felt herself grab a hold of the melody the water emitted, her consciousness growing one with the song. She briefly contemplated putting her hands up to hide the fact that she didn’t need them to move the water but closed her eyes and kept them down. As she felt the water rise from the surface it had previously laid still on, she felt an almost inaudible gasp erupt from Banner and Stark. She opened her eyes to see what they saw, not daring to look away from the water that circled around itself, suspended mid-way in the air above the blue plastic it was previously contained in.

“This is-“ Banner tried to contain his awe, unable to say anything as he watched the water, seemingly having a life of its own, moving upwards in waves that reminded him of the way snakes slithered against the ground.

“Admittedly awesome is what it is- okay, that’s enough. Can you put it down, Amelia- gently?” Amelia hid a smile, eyes still fixated on the water before she willed it down, instinctively jumping back when the water connected with the barrel again, leaving a trail of water splashing onto them.

“Oops- sorry.” Amelia looked at Stark and Banner with an apologetic look, only then noticing how her heartrate seemed to calm once the water stilled against its container. Stark resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead opting to call out what stood out the most to him.

“How far away do you actually need to be to control it? We thought you had to use your hands- like they operate like some kind of magnetic field, but obviously you don’t.”

“I haven’t had the chance to test it out, as I was prone to kidnapping apparently.”

“Hm, right. Capsicle can’t live without his orders- no matter what they are.” Amelia frowned at the mention of Steve, his betrayal still a thorn in her side. Banner brought her out of her thoughts as he sudden spoke up, having remained almost eerily quiet since her demonstration.

“Earlier, you said you can’t touch water unless its liquified. What did you mean by that?” Amelia clasped her hands around the blue barrel, one of them plopping down gently into the water. Stark brought a hand to his chin, lips parting in what seemed to be his first sign of surprise. Banner fished into the hem of his purple shirt, pulling out his glasses as he watched the shape of her hand slowly turned blue, morphed into the very liquid she had put it in. It almost seemed to sparkle as the fluorescent lights above them reflected itself upon it, the water flowing in streams up her arm the same way her veins would transport blood through them. Amelia eyed Stark and Banner’s baffled looks, before she quickly pulled her hand out, her once submerged invisible hand back to normal the minute it resurfaced.

“It takes time but, imagine how surprised I was the first time I took a shower.” Amelia joked, having grown so used to the sight she forgot how shocked the others still were.

“This- this happens to all your body? For how long- does it hurt?” Banner opted, evidently so enwrapped with Amelia’s ability, he was almost startled when Stark suddenly let out a loud “aha”.

“We’ve got a match. JARVIS finished the search- we need to get back to the lab, ASAP.” Stark nodded knowingly to Banner, eyes landing on Amelia as they seemed eager to storm out of the training room, Amelia not really sharing their enthusiasm as she was confused to yet another mention of JARVIS- whoever that was.

“That includes you- chop chop!” Amelia shook her head with a stressed groan, obeying as she tiptoed after them back to the lab. They were in a hurry, almost leaping over to the area where they were researching Loki’s scepter. Amelia followed soon after, a confused look on her face as she parted her lips to ask what the hell they were up to. Before she could speak, however, she almost yelped when the door to the lab opened, revealing a mad-looking Fury almost seeming to lunge at the two men the minute he walked through the door. Oh shit.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re working?” Stark quickly responded with sarcasm, as if Fury’s question was stupidly uncalled for. Amelia realized she had folded her hands together at how nervous she felt, mentally cursing herself for picking up Banner’s bad habit. Did Stark make her perform a demonstration without Fury’s consent? This could have her back in that cell in an instant, never to see the sun again. Amelia caught Stark in a prickling glare that made him roll his eyes at her.

“Oh, come on Pacifica! This isn’t about your demonstration- you know, Fury you should thank me!”

“What.” Fury turned to Amelia, before he looked back at Stark with a shocked expression on his eyes that seemed to substantially increase the angered expression on his face. He pointed a finger accusingly at him.

“You let her perform her powers without telling me- without proper _security!_? Do you realize what could have happened-“

“Yeah, yeah total destruction, I get it! But we did our research- she’s not a danger unless she wants to be! _I_ solved your problem! Or _maybe_ \- you’re mad because you wanted to make her into a weapon!” Amelia gasped, her body frigid as she watched the situation unfold between Stark and Fury. The Director glanced briefly at her reaction, frowning deeply back at Stark. That notion made her realize what Stark said was true. She had almost forgotten she was merely an asset. A prisoner until a time when they required her skills. How did Stark find out, though?

“Stark, you and I do not need this conversation, right now.”

“As a matter of fact, I think we do- _by the way_ , what _is_ phase two?” before Fury could answer, they were all taken by surprise by Steve’s sudden appearance in the room, as he came walking in bearing a modified chrome weapon of sorts. He held it up for everyone to see, evidence of what the Captain had seemed to catch onto, as well. The metal shone against the movement, before a clinking sound resonated throughout the room as he dropped it down onto the counter centered in the lab. Amelia saw the edging of a round symbol on it, a shallow breath escaping her lips as she found herself mysteriously drawn to it.

“Phase two is- SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons.” Steve’s face was hard, his voice fueled by a tone of betrayal and anger equal to her own when Amelia realized he was the one who brought her there. Standing beside the counter, her hand came in contact with the gun with a feathery touch- body shaking as she traced the lines connected to the symbol in the round marking etched into its side. “Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me.” Amelia cast a sharp glance at Steve, finally understanding what Banner and Stark had done. This wasn’t about her. Phase two was a secret operation within SHIELD, that at least three of the men inside the lab didn’t approve of. What could this weapon do? Why would SHIELD use the Tesseract to fuel their firepower? Exactly what- Amelia’s eyes came to a suspicious glare towards the Director- did they intend to use such powerful weapons on?

“Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean-“ Fury directed his attention to Fury, approaching the counter with a defensive hand before it came in touch with the counter’s surface. Amelia retreated backwards, her mind circling out of control on what to do with the newfound information. Before Fury could fake an explanation- Stark showed them the proof.

“I’m sorry Nick- what were you lying?”

“I was wrong Director. The world hasn’t changed a bit.” Natasha and Thor had entered the room now, their presence catching Amelia’s attention as she noticed her red hair and his ridiculous costume that she still couldn’t for the sake of it imagine being an equivalent suit of armor.

“Did you know about this?” Banner asked Natasha, Amelia turning to face her, suddenly remembering that she was employed by SHIELD. Natasha’s eyes barely flickered to Amelia as she noticed her staring, quickly turning back to Banner.

“You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?” Amelia took a step towards Banner, wanting to defend him when he swiftly answered for himself.

“I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed.” He sneered at Natasha. Amelia fell back, suddenly overcome by the sudden tension that seemed to rise between everyone in the lab.

“Loki is manipulating you.”

“And you’ve been doing what, exactly?”

“You didn’t come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.”

“I’m not leaving because you feel a little twitchy. I’d like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.” This was personal. Banner was getting angry because he thought the same thoughts as Amelia. Were they, or were they not intending to use the weapons against them? Amelia’s breath caught in her throat when Fury suddenly pointed a finger at her without looking, before directing it towards Thor, who seemed more surprised than her.

“Because of them.”

“Me?” Thor pointed at himself in confusion, clearly offended by Fury’s words. Amelia didn’t want to get involved. Something else had caught her attention. The way everyone seemed to get so easily sucked up in arguments, including her own urge to lash out at everyone here- even people she had no quarrel with. It didn’t make sense- and it certainly seemed off.

_“Sorry, how is this now about me?”_

_“I’m sorry, isn’t everything?_

_“-more involved than this.”_

“Excuse me-“ Amelia suddenly snapped her head towards the scepter, curving her brows at the faint ringing sound that seemed to follow it. She leaped forth out of instinct to reach it- before a sudden hand came in contact with her shoulder, halting her movement. She looked up, snarling under her breath at the sight of Steve.

“Surely you agree? These are weapons meant to harm you, Amelia.”

“Oh, I really don’t want to get involved, Steve.”

“Well bite it, Aquagirl, because believe it or not, this is also about you. Fury said so himself! He wants to potentially destroy you and you’d _let_ him?!” Stark suddenly argued, earning a grunt of disapproval from Amelia.

“Well, if you haven’t noticed- these are the same people keeping me prisoner! Maybe if Captain Bullshit hadn’t been such an insensitive prick- _maybe_ I’d have time to think of anything else besides whether or not they’ll put me in a jailcell for the rest of my life!”

“You do realize we did this for your safety, Amelia?!” Natasha suddenly chimed, picking up on the argument now circling around both Stark and Steve as the woman tried to defend the man in the blue and red suit.

“Oh, really? I know exactly what I’m doing! I was perfectly fine on my own until you all took that away! I am sorry I tried to prevent a man from assaulting me- but that doesn’t mean I’m s-some kind of monster!”

“Ms.Amelia- I believe if you really think you have control, you should calm down.” Amelia snared at Fury, realizing how right he was, but having somehow given into the temptation to blurt out whatever hurtful and rage-filled words she could muster. She almost choked on her own breath as she tried tow ill herself to stop talking.

“You talk of control, yet you court chaos.” Thor answered Fury in a condescending manner, signifying that the argument was far from over. Amelia shrunk back at the sight, once again made aware of how they seemed to jump right into another argument the minute another subsided. The scepter- before Amelia could react, she watched it move from its stand on top of the counter, swaying as it shifted in Banner’s hand. Natasha and Fury’s guns rambled against their holders as they saw Banner holding it. Loki’s scepter was manipulating them.

“Guys-“

“Dr.Banner- put down the scepter.” Steve said calmly, causing the scientist to stare wide-eyed at him before his nut brown orbs connected with the glowing blue stone on the golden stick now in his possession.

“ _Guys-_ the scepter! It’s-“ Amelia’s eyes widened as the others finally met her eyes, realization dawning upon their faces just as the emergency lights started flaring a bright red, soon accompanied by the sound of an alarm. Before anyone could react, they were met with a force that pushed them against the walls of the room. Amelia screamed at the sudden impact, before complete darkness washed over her.


	6. VI - Trickster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia wakes up after a strange vision, and yet again meets with the God of Mischief after the unexpected attack on the Helicarrier. Loki remains a trickster, and his efforts to stop the Avengers turns out to be ultimately more difficult than first imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been sick for the last week, hopefully it's nothing too serious, but I have been staying at home during this, however unable to release the chapters when I intended to because of it. Figured I'd release two in one night (or whatever time is where you're all at) now that I'm feeling better. Loki and Amelia's paths clashes more now, and I can't wait for their journey to truly begin now. :3

_“Bring the doctor-“_ Was she dead? The flashes of an unfamiliar scene convinced her otherwise, but it was too hard to see. Dark and ominous voices lingered, urgent in their task as the memory of their beings seemed to shift around her. _“She’s misbehaving- s-seize her!”_ A voice stood out more than the others, his words more audible while the others remained haze amidst the abyss they surfaced in. _“Shit s-she’s-“_ Who were they talking to? Who were they? Why did everything- _hurt..? “I believe she’s ready. Look at what we’ve created. We need to do something, quick, before she-_

_-wakes up.”_

Amelia gasped for air, her head pulsating painfully as she bolted up too fast, wide awake as her sight seemed to waver, subsiding alongside the whipping trauma that inhabited her skull. Smoke clouded her vision, the grey substance barely visible amidst the flashing red lights that adorned a ravaged room, collapsed ceilings surrounding her shape as she hauled herself up against what she imagined was the remains of a wall. What happened? A faint prickling against her forehead made her almost slap her hand against it in fright. She almost laughed when she saw her fingertips turn red at the touch. Why would she, under the circumstances, imagine even for a second that there was a creepy crawly on her? Another fact that followed her from her past, apparently. Naturally scared of spiders, even amidst a haze of amnesia. Amelia’s eyes flickered towards the room she was in, finally able to make out what it has used to look like, before she had been thrown across it. She gritted her teeth with a grunt of effort as she bended her knees to gain enough support to stand. Her tights were ripped, her skin stinging beneath the numerous cuts as the material chafed against it. Light debris covered the rest of her, causing her to cough as she tried to pat off the worst of it from her shoulders. A million questions went through her mind, manifesting like images showing the Avengers torn apart by whatever force had hit them, and that force being anything from an explosion to a giant punching glove. Amelia was wheezing as she tried to make her way forward, wondering if she had been seriously injured but not having the energy to check it out. The only thing that mattered was finding the others- before whatever had hit them found her instead.

Amelia traced her steps to the corridor, walking past where the door had been blown in, letting out a small gasp as the less damaged hallway came to sight. Whatever had happened- it was deliberate. The Avengers were all drawn to the lab when they were blown sideways by whatever had hit them. Amelia sighed before her eyes hardened as she sprinted forward, hoping to eventually locate the others. A deep rumbling from below caught her attention, her attempt at running down the corridor coming to a halt as the sound seemed to follow her in her trail.

“What the-“

“Ms.Amelia!” her head whipped up t the voice calling out to her, her tangled hair a mess as long strands plastered themselves around her cheeks. She was instantly drawn to the faint flow of water above them, circling around in the remaining pipes above the ceiling. She quickly discarded her intentions when she met the eyes of a young, wide-eyed SHIELD guard. “You’re alive! Come quick bef-“ Amelia watched the man cut off his own words, choking as blood seemed to seep out of his mouth, the petrified look in his eyes as they glazed over making Amelia jump back. Only after he fell to the floor did she realize there had been a loud gunshot that bounced back and forth between her ears. Another guard, wearing no emblem to identify he was with SHIELD, was standing a short distance away from the fallen guard, a gun pointing towards Amelia’s direction. Amelia seemed to malfunction completely, short breaths and little oxygen making it through her lungs. That guard couldn’t have been any older than her. Amelia would have laughed under different circumstances, as she didn’t even know her own age- but the gun-wielder didn’t move his aim. Amelia looked down at the guard’s body with a softened expression of both guilt and grief. All these emotions for a man she had just met. Was it the fact that he had died right in front of her after trying to save her? Whatever these feelings meant, they also made her glare grudgingly at the shooter. For a moment, he hesitated at the sudden change of her darkened pupils, before he shook out of it, fixing his gun on her.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” She barely whispered, though it seemed to resonate through the very walls of the corridor, every water pipe around them shaking with the emotion Amelia transferred into them.

“I-I have my orders. You have to come with us-“

“Why sure- just let me get my purse. Oh wait-“ Amelia felt disgusted at the way she seemed to grin wickedly at the shooter, his eyes widening right before his eyes closed shut by the sudden wave of water that impacted briefly with the surface of his skin. “It’s right- _here_!” The man’s head fell limp onto his chest, hiding his face before he slowly dropped to his knees, gun dropping from the edge of his fingers. Amelia stared absently at the man as his body finally went to the floor, his back turned upwards as he fell to his death alongside the guard he had just killed. Amelia snapped her gaze towards the remaining corridor leading to the meeting room. If they were still aboard the ship, someone had to be there, right? She exhaled a breath, before the same emotionless stare engraved itself into her as her heels clicked violently against the floor. She had just killed a man again…

“Ms. Amelia?” getting a sense of déjà vu, Amelia was snapped out of her thoughts as she looked up at the man in front of her. She was prepared for another invader, but her eyes widened as she let her guard down at the man in front of her. He gave her a brief smile, a contradiction to the serious tone in his voice. “I need your help.”

Thor had been slow to realize Loki was tricking him. When he had charged at him, it took him a while to realize his brother had projected an illusion. An illusion that now had him trapped inside the same cell Loki had been in. He spun on his heel, gripping Mjolnir tightly as he was faced with the same green-caped man. If this was an illusion, as well- Thor couldn’t tell.

“Are you never not going to fall for that?” his voice dripped with amusement, the only familiar trait Thor could recognize in the god that stood before him. The thought was a painful reminder of the day at the Bifrost bridge, when Thor had lost Loki to the depths of the universe, believing his brother dead. Now he was standing right in front of him, and yet it only angered Thor to see his brother- somehow still gone. Thor roared in a fit of rage at the emotions that consumed him at the sight of Loki, before he lunged at the glass panel. With a stumble, Thor noticed how the impact seemed to make the entire cell quake, the thick metal wires holding it in place loosening the hold on it. He looked around bewildered, before his eyes came in contact with Loki’s shallow blue ones. He looked ill- a dark, sickly color framing the irritated area in the white of Loki’s eyes, a result of the almost glowing color his irises seemed to take on. Thor didn’t have time to notice just ow clouded Loki’s eyes were, as Loki’s voice echoed throughout the large space around them, the sound slightly muffled by the broad walls surrounding Thor.

“Humans think us immortal.” Loki smirked. Thor followed his movements with heavy breaths as Loki turned to the control panel linked to the cell. Exactly what manners of technology the panel was capable of, Thor didn’t know. But seeing as the cell was originally intended for Banner, it wasn’t hard to guess. “Let’s test that theory, shall we?” Thor felt helpless- he could only watch Loki’s hand move towards a large button that seemed to stand out from the rest of the board. Thor braced himself, eyes flickering around the cell even now to search for a possible way out. It was then he noticed Loki’s guard standing, before erupting into a pained sound before he promptly fell flat onto the floor. Agent Coulson was there in his stead, holding a large cannon-like rifle, which likeness was uncanny to something Thor would rather not remember.

“You like this?” Coulson taunted, the clear dislike of Loki dripping from his words. Thor immediately sensed Loki’s disapproval, pleading eyes begging the SHIELD agent to escape as Thor dreaded what might happen. Loki put his hands in the air, slowly snaking his way towards the Agent, before the sound of penetrated flesh erupted into the room, a painful gasp escaping Coulson’s lips as he rolled down against the wall, the prototype weapon resting in his lap as his breathing slowed. Thor yelled with regret for the Agent’s wound, eyes glaring intently with both a newfound hatred and a painful grief for the brother he was now convinced wasn’t his brother. Not anymore. The real Loki stood behind Coulson with the scepter, quickly strolling back to the panel as his illusion evaporated. He cast Thor one of his signature smirks, the darkness in his blue eyes silencing Thor as he watched with despair how Loki’s hand came down to connect with the release button of the cell. His breathing slowed, the sounds around him fading as his mind quickly thought of a way to escape whatever Loki had planned for him. But Loki never pressed the button. Thor looked at the green-clad man, watching his dark eyes turn to something Thor had to bend under the rim of the glass panel to see. His eyes widened, much the same as the expression he had seen on Loki’s face.

“C-Coulson…” Thor resisted the urge to slam Mjolnir against the glass again, his hands connecting with it instead as he yelled for dark-haired woman’s attention. She was standing above them in a staircase right by the entrance to the room, hands clutching tightly onto a silver container.

“Lady Amelia! Get out of here!” she snapped her head towards him, her hash brown eyes stirring against her lids as they flickered to Thor in the cell before they went back to Coulson’s bleeding form sitting upright in the corner behind him. Thor wanted to get out now, more than ever. Fear rumbled within him, stomach churning at the image he imagined seeing if Amelia and Loki clashed. Amelia almost read his mind, finally noticing the god that originally resided in the cell.

“You.” She growled at him, eyes darkening into straight slits as he gave her a formal bow, mocking her anger with his gesture.

“Pleasure, Lady Amelia. I am Loki, Prince of Asgard and soon to be- _your_ king.” Thor watched the conversation unfold in front of him. Amelia snorted at Loki’s prediction, causing the fear in Thor’s stomach to jump into his chest.

“Why I’d bow, but considering the circumstances-“ Amelia’s sarcasm turned her lips downwards into a disgusted frown. “-I’d rather puke my entrails out.” Loki wanted to chuckle at her remark, but squinted his eyes knowingly at her as he started to slowly approach her without her noticing.

“Well I am flattered by your honesty. You mortals seem to lack that trait. Did Agent Coulson here, by chance, tell you why you are _truly_ here?” Thor was stunned. Loki let on to something he shouldn’t have known. Something that Thor could tell was honest, despite Loki’s deceptional ways- something Thor _didn’t_ know. SHIELD had left out another detail, yet again… He looked at Amelia’s frown softening, something that encouraged Loki’s wicked grin as he wandered forward, the scepter clashing against the floor with his steps.

“You think you’re here because you’re a danger to the world. They want to utilize this strength of yours to their own gain. But that’s not the whole story, is it? Oh no, the reason you’re truly here is-“

“I’ve had just about enough about your stalling, _Loki of Asgard_.” Thor wanted to let out his relief, his breath still caught in his throat as Loki’s expression turned dark when he noticed she saw through his deception.

“Why- don’t you want to know who _made_ you, Lady Amelia?”

“No. I have my own purpose despite what I was put here to do, and right now it is to prevent you from enslaving the world.”

“Well, that changes things. I thought you were different, but you’re just like every mortal in this realm. Weak- and delusional- blinded to the simple truth that you were made to be ruled!” Loki’s taunting voice blinded Amelia’s vision as she unlocked the metal suitcase in her hand, tossing it as she pulled out a gun, the familiarity of its shape and the peculiar emblem on it making Thor’s eyes widen as she swiftly loaded it and aimed it at his brother. The weapon from the lab, though bigger and regrettably not powerful enough to stop Loki. The said god laughed at the woman, before turning serious as he quickly plunged the scepter into the air, releasing the blast of energy within it. Amelia barely dodged it as she lunged down the stairs with a grunt, rolling onto the flat floor right below Loki before she grazed his shoulder with an unhesitant shot from the gun. Coming back from the attack, Loki growled as he went after her, Amelia having already reached the panel to search for a release button. Thor slammed his hands against the glass again as Loki pushed her violently to the side, a pained gasp erupting from the woman as her head slammed against the metal railing. A loud pang resonated within the bended steel rods, causing a cringe to escape Thor as he saw her fall, knocked out by the force.

“Brother!” he tried, before Loki gave him a warning look. Thor gasped, before Loki’s hand finally locked down onto the button, the cell giving out to the touch as it was roughly released form the wires holding it in place. Thor watched the room disappear as he plunged downwards towards the sea below them.

Amelia grunted at the pain, barely able to recognize what had happened when she felt the cell fall beside her. Unable to move as the world seemed to swirl around her, she watched with a hazy stare as Loki’s boots deliberately stepped over her, stopping by Coulson’s shape as she saw the Agent’s mouth move, unable to make out what he said. Amelia internally jumped as Loki’s body suddenly flew backwards, before crashing into hers, knocking the air out of her by how unimaginably heavy the proclaimed god was. She felt a deep rumble against her skin as he growled, pulling himself up after having been hit by what she assumed was the weapon in Coulson’s hands. What she didn’t expect, was to feel her own body appear weightless as the floor grates stopped etching into her through her clothes, watching herself rise above Coulson’s shape, his eyes widening as he seemed to slowly appear smaller. Her head was lashed against a hard surface, a musky smell of cold leather brazing her nostrils at the impact. Unable to look anywhere but down, she almost blushed before she willed herself to look at the golden shin-plates adorning a familiar black pair of leather boots. The weak blue light of the golden scepter sang beside her, almost succeeding in lulling her into the same absent mind it had forced her into when it was kept at Banner and Stark’s lab. Panicking as realization dawned upon her, she felt her strength return as she thrashed around trying to break free. She yelped and stilled as she felt a muscular arm tighten around her waist to the point where she found it hard to breathe, much less escape the strong grasp.

“H-how the hell are you so- _strong!_ Let me go!” she heard a dark chuckle, her heart catching in her throat at how ordinary the sound was, despite the fact that the man who owned it had sent his brother to an unknown fate and Coulson to his death.

“I believe you’ve misunderstood me a mere mortal, Lady Amelia. I am a god. You’d do well to remember that next time you think about attacking me.” Amelia frowned, her hands slightly waving back and forth with Loki’s movement, stopping when he came to a halt at the end of a corridor. Amelia could feel the pull of cold air from somewhere, and her eyes searched for a source. Instead, they landed on a rift exposing pale skin against Loki’s shoulder. There was a trail of red irritated skin, as if burned- though whatever wound had been there before, it was gone now. She stared wide-eyed at it, astonished by how quickly it had healed. Was he really a god?

“Well, looks like I still got to you. Does that make me a god, too?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, mortal. If I really thought you could kill me, I would have strangled you before you woke up in that cell. Put this on.” Amelia felt her hairs rising on her neck at his remark as he shoved a mask at her. She briefly stared at it, before she understood they were leaving SHIELD’s aircraft.

“Where are you taking me?” she said, caught off guard as she quickly pulled it on when Loki shifted, opening a door that almost instantly sucked her air out. She squinted her eyes as the sunlight washed over them, once again feeling discouraged by the fact that Loki didn’t seem to need air to breathe the same way she did.

“That’s none of your concern. But since you’re bothering to ask, let’s just say your nasty coven of annoying roaches won’t hinder my will this time.” Amelia looked at the aircraft forming before her, before Loki seemed to walk upwards into what she assumed was another, smaller aircraft. She proved herself right when the small helicopter-like structure’s interior revealed the small seat rows integrated on its sides. She felt the fabric on her back brush against the aircraft’s ceiling, before Loki promptly chose to drop her on the dark metal floor with a heavy thud. She grunted, the impact pushing against the pained area that had formed on her back.

“What the hell!” she yelled, eyes glaring up at Loki as he towered over her. There was an amused tug on his lips as he reached his hand out. Amelia shot him a confused frown that quickly turned to anger again, refusing to take it. He side-stepped shrugging his shoulders, and Amelia watched in horror when she realized the aircraft was in the air, the suddenly safe grounds of the SHIELD platform disappearing behind thick clouds when the floor suddenly angled upwards. Amelia dug her nails into the floor to no avail. Her stomach churned, followed by the almost painful tingle rushing down her feet as her palms clammed up. Amelia rushed to her knees, clasping her hands against the floor to keep steady. Breathing heavily, she struggled to find a safe way to get up without falling down the extended platform that lead to the open air surrounding them. She didn’t even know if they were above water or not at this point. Her fear was visibly getting to her head, and she could tell Loki was watching with amusement. Amelia squinted her eyes shut, forcing her foot to bend as she tried to stand up. There was a free seat nearby, Amelia reaching her hand out to grab at the red plastic attached to a seatbelt, before her eyes widened at the glistening sound that followed her rubber soles as she slipped. With a gasp, she felt herself lose footing as she rolled backwards, her lower back connecting with a painfully sharp edge. The sky looked down on her and with an inaudible gasp, Amelia closed her eyes.


	7. VII - The Blue Lagoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a rather long chapter about the fight in New York. I wanted Amelia to become more acquainted with her powers, and as an amateur writer, it was difficult to reduce the amount of words to fit in my ideas on her abilities. Hopefully you'll still find this chapter somewhat enjoyable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello other humans :) It's been a while. The story remains active, and I'm pleased to release a new chapter. It's been a tough couple of months, as I am constatly bombarded with assignments related to some studies I've taken up. I've also become very secluded during these times, which has heavily effected my mental health for a while. As someone who has a family member who can possibly fare badly from catching the current virus, I've made the decision to stay at home as much as possible for their sake. To anyone out there in the situation- you're not alone :) With my cringeworthy amount of self-sympathy out of the way- please. Enjoy even more Loki.

It didn’t make sense to die this way. Amelia had barely seen the outside since she was brought to SHIELD and now she longed for the walls keeping her in place. The skies an unwelcome sight to what waited for her below, Amelia’s mind wandered as she awaited her own fate. Why would Loki go through all that trouble, just to toss her to her own death? He was a cruel, wicked god, if what he said was true. Even now, as she was falling his face seemed to chuckle in her ear, as if his evil touch still lingered on her.   
“You really think I’d waste my time on you if I did not think you important, mortal? Don’t die on me yet.” Amelia’s eyes snapped open, her arm stretched out above her as an even paler hand than hers held a tight grasp around her exposed wrist. Her eyes followed the pale hand, tracing the sewn leather onto the bulky shoulder, connecting to the slim neck, adorned with dark strands of curled hair. His eyes were looking down at her with glee, his expression showing no sign of strain as he held her floating below the belly of the aircraft. Its rotators seemed to slow around the two, the only thing that mattered being the way his lips moved as he swiftly pulled her up, slinging his free arm around her for support as he sat her down on a free seat. Amelia was quiet, her lips pursed in a straight line as she locked eyes onto a dark corner underneath the seats on the other side of the airplane. She sensed Loki sit down beside her, a sigh erupting from him as his scepter clinked against the metal floor.   
“Who’d think someone like you were afraid of heights?” Amelia frowned, straining her muscles not to look at Loki.   
“What- strong, independent and utterly gorgeous?” Amelia felt the smugness fade from Loki’s face, the feeling causing her to finally turn to her captor. She mentally thanked herself for still having to wear the oxygen mask when she caught his eyes staring right at her.   
“I-I was joking… How did you know? I didn’t even know. Amelia blushed when she caught herself mumbling, forcing herself to look away from his mysteriously intense gaze. She brought a hand to the side of her face, hoping it would add some kind of separation from his piercing blue orbs.   
“People react certain ways to fear. My brother for instance will usually attempt to hit anything that puts him off. You, on the other hand, seem to go frigid with fear. You mortals are so frail and easily harmed, fear incapacitates and weakens you.” Amelia found herself able to look at the god again, finding that for once, his face didn’t adorn his usually playful expression anymore. It was almost distant, in a way. His brows furrowed into thought, Amelia noticed he wasn’t talking to insult her. He seemed more curious, than anything. Mortals, as he had grown fond of calling them, were the people he was trying to enslave. He wanted them to bow to him, willingly deprive themselves of any right to live as they pleased. So why did it seem like he cared about what inevitably made them mortal in the first place? Unless- her eyes darted carefully towards the scepter with suspicion. It affected the mind, as well as being a source of power. The way it seemed to enchant her every time she heard it sing- what would happen to her mind if she declared ownership over it, like Loki had?  
“Fear makes me remember what I fight for. I feel like I haven’t been around for long, but before SHIELD, I had no purpose. Now I do- and I hope you know I will do everything to stop you.” Loki seemed to snap out of his thoughts at her comment, his eyes growing light with glee as he smirked at her.  
“Well, I’d like to see you try.” He leaned in, causing Amelia’s breath to catch in her throat as he whispered against her ear, his voice raspy by the strain the low sound made when it escaped his lips. She felt a cold sting against her chest, feeling the scepter sing through her as it came in contact with her skin. “But I cannot afford to let you intervene, this time. Tell you what, Lady Amelia. I will save you the best seat in this pungent city of yours- so you can watch it crumble beneath you, knowing in your mind that you would never be able to overpower me.” Amelia struggled against the touch of the scepter, the song creeping through her veins like an itch she couldn’t scratch- threatening to burst out of her veins as it made its way into her heart. Her vision darkened, briefly before it turned into moments of completely passing out before latching onto the vision of Loki moving in front of her, lifting her up again and carrying her along a rooftop of sorts, the sound of his boots against gravel eventually a soothing sound that seemed to penetrate the loud whisper from the scepter’s influence. The sounds muffed by the collision between the constant scraping of the surface Loki was walking on, Amelia was tempted by the silence the dark seemed to offer. Her lids grew heavy, eyes flickering against Loki’s armored chest, before they landed on the tall horns resting on top of his head. Before she could react to the meticulous headwear, the world went blank.  
“-is serious. We can’t let her go just yet!” The walls were so white, the color screaming, burning her vision. And yet it was so dark. Figures, shapes cowered around her, inaudible voices whispering- so close they might as well hover over her, and yet so far she couldn’t tell where they were. There was a quiet chant surrounding her- a bubble shielding her from her own memories. She could tell- this was her past. And the singing- the scepter only showed her what it wanted her to see. Dark shapes and white walls- familiar voices of concern and fear bouncing off the cheap plaster, loud footsteps resonating against concrete floors.  
“-this is what we’ve waited for. We can’t- any longer. She has to-“   
“-then let me say goodbye, at least! She’s my-“ A shadow approached her, his voice washing over her in soft words, a contradiction to how low and malicious it had seemed before. Who were these people?  
“-goodbye… Remember… you are-“ What was she? She wanted to scream, beg for a name- anything to remind her of her past, anything to identify the voices she recognized with a painful tug at her chest. “You are… The Blue Lagoon-”  
Amelia was prone to waking up with a start. This time was different. She was exhausted to the point where waking up seemed impossible. The scepter’s remaining influence seeped out of her veins, leaving an empty trail in its wake as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She had seen Loki carry her inside an elevator, before placing her in a chair by a cluttered desk inside the large space the elevator led them to. If she hadn’t known better, the futuristic appearance of room almost ahead of its time would have made her think Loki brought her to whatever world he came from. But she was still in New York. At the same time, while watching Loki’s form move back and forth- waiting, she was lost in the images that played out around her. Amelia blinked rapidly, trying to bring back even a little moisture to her eyeballs to prevent them from tearing up. Loki was nowhere to be seen, until he suddenly appeared in front of her, the scepter still plastered to his hand. His lips moved inaudibly, causing Amelia to finally completely break free from her dazed state.  
“What?” Amelia choked, cringing at the itch her voice caused to her throat as she spoke. Loki sighed, looking slightly impatient with her. She frowned at the notion. He was the one who brought her to whatever high end apartment she found herself in. He didn’t have the right to be mad with her.  
“I knew the scepter wouldn’t incapacitate you for long, but you sure woke up fast form its influence.” Amelia mistook Loki’s impatience for worry. He seemed to almost want to bite on his nails as he brought a hand to his chin in thought when he looked down at her. His eyes looked even more tired than before, although the hollow, sunken features he held before when they first met was gone. For someone who claimed to be a god, he sure didn’t look too well. But Amelia stopped her trail of descriptions around his disheveled appearance when she caught onto her own thoughts. Her eyes widened with a pang of realization as she furrowed her brows, craning her neck up to meet his electrical blue orbs.  
“How long have you been under its influence?” Loki’s eyes widened, a first show of actual emotion washing across his face. As quickly as it appeared it was gone, replaced by a vicious glare as he hit a closed fist onto the back of her seat. Amelia jumped, startled as Loki almost seemed to growl at her.  
“You know nothing. This is my verdict. Everything you’re about to see is my will, and mine alone. I am going to revel in seeing Thor and his glorified little humans see what is about to happen, realizing they can do nothing to stop me.” Amelia’s stare hardened against Loki’s almost shivering form as he spat. He stepped back as she slowly stood up from the chair, scraping it behind her as she approached the god, leaning in against him, never breaking eye contact as she did.   
“Sounds to me like I’m not the one you’re trying to convince. I already know, So before you do anything you’ll regret, I suggest you call it off. Before we do it for you.” Loki’s breathing was heavy and rapid, his apparent rage towards her not subsiding.   
“It’s too late, Lady Amelia. The scientist is preparing as we speak. Soon, this city will be in ruins.”  
“Watch me. I’ll give everything to stop whatever you’re planning. Even more so now that I know it’s not fully your decision to do it.”  
“You are the most irritably naïve mortal I have met. Your persistence means nothing.”  
“Well, I’m trying to do good. You can, too.”  
“Do good? Do you truly believe you can? All these mortals have done is to ridicule you- yet you’d still stay loyal to them, just to prove your own worth? They call me a monster for what I’ve done- what will they call you when this is over? In the end, you will learn that your loyalty won’t matter.”  
“Maybe not, but it won’t be for lack of trying.”  
“All these mortals will judge you, blame you- and before you know it, you are the dark inspiration beyond horror for their children to fear.” Loki’s eyes wavered at his words, growing almost glossy as he breathed the last sentence, voice hissing and laced with hurt. Amelia frowned mentally with confusion at her own concern for Loki’s past. She blinked, pursing her lips as she stuttered.  
“Well, I’d rather be known for something I’m not, than living the rest of my life knowing I did nothing to prevent those claims.”  
“Why would you protect these mortals, even knowing they will never accept you! You’re telling me you would do it without hesitation, without thinking twice!? Now I’ve told my fair share of lies but that is just ridiculous!” Loki was yelling now, chuckling with disbelief at Amelia’s words. Under different circumstances, he would be right. That was the worst part of it. But Amelia knew she was given her abilities for a reason. Now, it was her decision on what she chose to do with them. If she had never met Banner or Stark, and seen how they worked day and night to locate the Cube- to prevent the man in front of her from prevailing, she wouldn’t have understood the depth behind her own words. But to see them working for something and her not giving anything back to help them wasn’t right. Even if she deep down wondered if she could truly claim to want to aid them for everyone’s sake, at least she knew she would do it for them. The Avengers…  
“You think I’m lying because you don’t understand my intentions.” Loki squinted his eyes at her, secretly disappointed she had yet to be convinced by his words. “I don’t do this for fame or respect, I do this because it’s the right thing to do. The truth is, you are the one caught in the lie, Loki. You pretend you’re describing my fate, but truly you’re just elaborating your own. It’s not too late. All of this- it’s not your doing, is it? You hold the whip- but the orders come from someone else. You feel you need to obey because there’s no one to catch you if you fail- but you don’t need to anymore, Loki. You’re not alone. Don’t make yourself the monster people want to see you as.” Loki’s stare visibly softened, his tight grip on the chair loosening as he retracted his hand, letting it hang loosely on his side as he for the first time looked away from her, eyes lingering on the large window behind him, where the dark outlines of New York unknowingly waited for its fate, whatever that would be. Amelia frowned, lips parting with an expectant sigh, hoping that maybe somehow she got through to him. His gaze lingered, the shape of him dark against the sunlight that came through the large glass.   
“Loki-“ Amelia was cut off by a sudden sharp inhale from the tall man as his head snapped towards something he saw. Still turned away from her, Amelia watched with astonishment as his shape shifted, a light wave of orange embracing him as two horns grew above his head, his shoulders widening as a bulkier set of armor manifested on him out of thin air. Once the dim light subsided, he turned, causing Amelia’s eyes to widen as she met his dark glare, complimented by the vile grin lingering on his lips. The golden headpiece an alarming visual reminder of something straight out of Hell, Amelia slouched her back in an unwilling display of fear.   
“It seems your friends have arrived. Will you join them? They’re going to need all the help they can get.” Loki absently pointed with the scepter towards the elevator, still grinning wickedly as his words caused a shiver to run down Amelia’s spine. She looked at the exit, eyes flickering back to Loki with a shaky breath.  
“Well, go on. Leave.” Loki growled, shoulders more broad than before as he spread his legs in a fighting stance- like a predator would before attacking its prey. Amelia heeded his warning, sprinting towards the elevator before turning to look at him disappear when she had pressed the button to the lower levels.   
“When this is is over-“ Amelia voiced, earning a quiet contemplating look from the armed god. Feeling more confident by the space between them and the doors of the elevator as they closed shut, she continued. “I’ll vouch for you. You’re not the monster- even if you yourself believe that.” The elevator rumbled as the doors separated her completely from the apartment, the metal walls shifting as she felt herself getting dragged down to the ground floor. As the elevator made a sound to notify her it had reached the button she pressed, she stopped in her tracks when the doors opened.   
“My observations tell me Loki wasn’t convinced by your words and is proceeding to go through with his plan. Do you truly believe it is not of his own accord?”  
“W-who-“  
“I am JARVIS- Stark’s artificial intelligence system, at your service. Though, I believe you have somewhere more important to be right now.”  
“Oh. You’re JARVIS.” Amelia found the humor to briefly scoff at constantly being left in the dark about JARVIS until now. “All this time, I half-believed Stark was mental.”  
“You are not the only one to make such assumptions. Stark told me to speak to you if I saw you.”  
“Why- what does he-“ before Amelia could learn what JARVIS was about to say, the ground quaked, cutting her off as she struggled to steady herself.   
“It seems Loki has succeeded. Stark tells me your safety is a priority as we are currently under attack.” Amelia snapped her head towards the windows in front of her leading to the busy street, eyes widening as flying objects seemed to swoop down, blasting some kind of energy source against the moving cars. A yellow cab was thrown across the street, landing with a crash along the walls of the building she was in. The flying objects slowed down, stopping by the spot where the cab had landed. That’s when she noticed them.   
“Yeah, well it’s a little too late for that isn’t it? Send Stark my regards.” Amelia’s eyes flickered towards the red metal lined up against the dark asphalt outside of the now ruined entrance, before they went back to the alien figures moving their bodies as they jumped down from the flying object. It was like seeing stormtroopers, the way the aliens seemed to shoot at anything and everything without even looking twice. People were screaming as they got out of their cars to prevent themselves from driving into each other, barely saving themselves from the aliens’ lack of sight as they aimed for them. Amelia frowned, taking a deep sigh before she quickly stepped towards the entrance door. Her eyes fell to the cab, where she could, even from a distance, tell that there was nothing she could do for the driver now. With a newfound rage for the monsters that seemed to skulk around outside in their quest for as much destruction as possible, she inhaled before screaming at the top of her lungs- hands ready as she felt the water press up against the thick, red-coated fire hydrant beside her.  
“Hey! Might want to aim before you shoot! It looks unprofessional!” the aliens screeched with an inhumane sound as they were alarmed of her presence, quickly pointing their strange-looking weapons at her, the glowing tips brightening as they seemed to load whatever energy that fed them. Amelia almost wanted to laugh at the action, her mouth forming to a brief smirk before she unleashed the firehydrant from its hinges- feeling the pressurized water fly against her newfound targets as easily as pressing a water bottle after pulling the cap off. The monstrous aliens seemed to scream in horror as they were laid flat on the ground, dropping their weapons as they ceased to move. Amelia slowed the pace of the water, letting it drop to the ground with them as she was distracted by the big hole in the sky.   
“I’ll be damned.” She breathed, the adrenalin still sinking into her from. Hundreds of the few she had just killed taking their place as they flew out of the black hole in the sky, she realized that the battle she had gotten herself into was going to be devastating. If she even made it out alive. “Loki- what have you done?”  
Thor had just managed to hold back the Chitauri on the street when he decided to confront his brother again. Stark had gotten to Loki once, unable to defeat him when more pressing matters with the Chitauri going after the civilians occurred. Stark was in the air, plowing his way through the alien forces when Thor willed himself in the air towards the Stark tower. He watched the event unfold beneath him, mortals unable to defend themselves barely managing to escape as the armies slowly pulled up in their vehicles, blocking the streets to protect the remaining people that weren’t already caught by the Chitauri’s attacks. The brother he once knew, although eccentric and filled with a sense of jest that others than Loki himself rarely approved of, would never go to this extent to prove a point. The thought only further fed Thor’s suspicion that Loki had changed. Thor looked down at the tower balcony, spotting the green cape as he finally reached it. Either that, Thor thought as he flew downwards, or Loki was simply not himself. Thor pessimistically hoped for the latter. Odin would not be happy about what Loki had done during his time on Earth. This time, Loki might not just get away with a stern look and a rumbling scolding from their father.   
Loki was walking to the extended platform connected to the balcony when Thor landed beside him. He looked amused, to say the least, his armor a painful reminder of the power he reveled in having released.   
“Loki!” Thor yelled, finally having had enough of his brother’s careless actions, his expression devoid of remorse when he looked down on the destruction he had caused. Loki met Thor’s raging eyes with an almost surprised look, as if he was brought out of his state of mind while he watched the city crumble. “Turn off the Tesseract, or I’ll destroy it.” Loki smirked at his warning.   
“You can’t! There is no stopping me-“ Loki waved the scepter to point it at Thor, eyes squinting as his voice dripped with what could only be described as- delusion. “-there’s only- the war.” Thor wanted to snort as he was further convinced. If he couldn’t reason with him in civilized ways, maybe he could beat some sense into him.  
“So be it.” Loki sneered, plunging down towards Thor, aiming for him with the scepter. Thor quickly took Loki’s jump as a chance to ready himself, Mjolnir clashing against the corrupted steel of the scepter as Loki landed in front of him. With effortless grunts fueled by emotions unreadable to each other, Thor struggled to win the fight, taken aback by Loki’s quick actions, the scepter unleashing an energy bolt that made Thor stumble when Mjolnir caught it. Before he knew it, Loki had swiftly turned the tables, fighting with such a strong will Thor was pushed to the floor. Thor grunted, trying to get up as quick as possible- before he saw Loki’s attention turned to the smaller aircraft hovering above them across the balcony. Thor didn’t have a chance to react before it shot at Loki, the hit causing him to promptly shoot at the aircraft, the hit causing the motors to spin it away from their sight. Thor watched it go down, quickly recollecting himself as he lunged at Loki with a loud roar, causing his brother to grunt at the impact as he was thrown back. Thor hit Loki repeatedly, the distraction from the aircraft an opportunity that finally threw Loki off his quick attacks, allowing Thor to finally grab Mjolnir and force Loki to momentarily stand down as Thor forced him to look towards the city he had previously watched with satisfaction.   
“Look at this! Look around you! All these people, the mortals at SHIELD, even Amelia! You think this madness will end with your rule!?” Loki’ widened eyes flickered at the sight, before they met Thor’s bright blue ones with a breathless voice of defeat.  
“It’s too late to stop it.”  
“No- we can- together.” Thor thought he had gotten through to him, despite Loki’s insistent tone. Loki paused, his shocked expression turning to one of a relieved smile, before Thor felt a sharp prick slide its way through the side of his stomach. He grunted at the pain, sinking down to his knees, Mjolnir once again slipping from his grasp as he looked up at his brother with a newfound regret. Could nothing truly save him? Loki met his grief-stricken gaze with a stern look, which oddly didn’t match with the tears that left his eyes as he grinned with disbelief.  
“The sentiment-“ Thor cried out as he put in a last effort to win the fight, ultimately picking up Loki and throwing him to the floor, crushing the air out of him. Loki groaned, but quickly rolled over and fell down the edge of the balcony, Thor’s heart briefly leaping in his chest before he caught Loki emerge on a Chitauri’s vehicle. As he flew up above Thor, Loki looked down at him with his signature smirk.  
“Just so you know, I didn’t kill Amelia. Wonder what she’s doing during all of this- fighting or protecting these mortals? You might want to find out, brother.” Loki’s sneer disappeared with him, and Thor looked down with wide eyes to take in what he had just been told. Amelia was alive. Thor picked up Mjolnir, taking flight to follow Loki’s group of Chitauri as they swooped down towards a street filled with civilians. If Amelia truly was out there, she might just turn this thing around- one way or the other.  
Steve was hiding with the rest of the so-called Avengers behind a turned over cab, shielding themselves from the Chitauri on the ground, when the Chitauri from above swiftly blew up the entire street below them as the Chitauri went through it. Leading them was none other than the self-proclaimed god that separated them at the Helicarrier. Steve growled at the sight, looking past the cab as he watched the explosions following the running civilians trying to get to safety.  
“Loki.” Steve noted, looking to his companions who were busy trying to fight off the Chitauri that approached them on the bridge they were currently restrained to. He had to help them, but his eyes lingered on the Chitauri that seemed to sneer at them once they caught sight of him and the SHIELD agents with him.   
“We got this.” Natasha said with a tug of her lips when she noticed Steve’s hesitance. Steve nodded as Hawkeye seemed to verify, drawing his bow before releasing one of his arrows into one of the Chitauri. Natasha bolted up, quickly joining him as Steve took the chance to prevent getting caught in the crossfire. He jumped down from the railing, landing on the roof of a car just as he caught two officers arguing about how to keep up the barrier they had set up. They had been shooting blindly at this point, their weapons no match for the speed of the Chitauri vehicles and the power of their energized weapons. It was like fighting against HYDRA all over again. But even then, despite the odds, they still won. The two officers looked up at Steve with surprise, before their eyes widened significantly- Steve briefly mistook the reaction as them noticing Steve was the long-gone American patriot he had been during the 40’s, before he realized they hadn’t been looking at him at all. He turned to see the same as they saw. Steve’s pursed lips turned into a smirk as he saw the long trails of water piercing into the individual Chitauri as they rose above the cars they had destroyed.   
“Damn, Amelia. You ruined my entrance.” Steve almost laughed, earning a confused look from the two officers whom remained still, unaware of whether to be frightened or amazed at the sight before them. They stared as a worn-looking woman emerged behind the dust from the ruined city as it was laid to the ground. The water followed her, and they quickly pointed their guns in her direction when they realized she single-handedly had been the one that killed all the Chitauri they still hadn’t managed to even hit, despite putting all of their people into it. The woman seemed to step back at their movement, eyes squinting as she lowered her head defensively. The blue and red-suited man on the car in front of them put his hand up, and hesitantly they lowered their guns, still shaking their hands against the metal as the woman quickly joined them.  
“You’re alive.” Steve said with disbelief, earning a quick smirk from Amelia, who still seemed to watch her surroundings carefully from both the officers in the front and the remaining Chitauri that seemed to crawl behind them, the tentacles of water still following her as she seemed to hold them steady by reaching her hands out, making small wave motions with them, almost as if she was swimming. Steve hadn’t seen the extent of her powers until now- and needles to say, he was relieved she seemed to be on their side.   
“Yeah, you too. Though these guys are certainly not making it easy.” Amelia nodded to the alien corpses spread out on the ground behind her, earning a breath of amusement from the Captain.   
“I hear you. I’m sorry to keep this short, but we need to get the civilians to safety.”   
“Of course.” Amelia frowned, reminded of all the people she had passed, both unconscious and running for their lives when she came for the space-invaders following them. Steve looked exhausted, but knowing a little of his background story, she wasn’t surprised to see him still working hard to save the city. He smiled at her, before turning to the pale-faced officers beside them.  
“There are people in these buildings. You need to get them to the basements or the subway. Keep them off the street. I need a perimeter as far back as 39.” The officers looked as Steve pointed down the blocks, frowning as they met his eyes again.  
“Why the hell should I take orders from you?” before Steve could answer the officer, an explosion occurred behind them, causing Amelia to stumble as she was caught off guard by the impact. Her concentration failed her, causing her to briefly lose control of her power as the water trails she had made quickly spilled onto the ground, causing her to remain incapacitated as two Chitauri jumped down from seemingly nowhere, charging at Steve. He quickly took care of them, banging his shield into the last one before it fell down the car he was crouching on. The officers looked at him with bewilderment, eyes flickering towards Amelia before he turned around, bringing his mouth towards the radio on his shoulder. Amelia was amazed at the display herself, meeting Steve’s eyes as he jumped down form the car, running towards the bridge above them as Amelia quickly followed, falling behind as Steve made his superhuman speed known. She groaned as she was forced to run up a set of stairs leading to where he had disappeared, her mind quickly trying to connect with the water she had left behind when she saw Steve regrouping with the other Avengers as they fought off the aliens. She gasped whens he realized it was too far away, suddenly feeling like a burden when a Chitauri was onto her. She quicky dodged as it shot at her, sliding behind a wrecked car as she watched Natasha and a man with a bow she didn’t recognize swiftly take out the aliens she was suddenly unable to kill.   
“Glad to see you’re still kicking, Amelia!” Natasha said in between hits as she jumped onto the back of a Chitauri, her hands connecting with its neck to electrocute it with some kind of gadget. Amelia mentally frowned but met Natasha’s remark with a grin.  
“I’d be damned to let one of these alien bastards get me. Including Loki.” Amelia breathed, suddenly almost bolting up from where she was crouching when she felt the eerie presence of the Chitauri that had noticed her arrival before. It was standing right next to her, charging the weapon aimed at her. Eyes wide, every thought on what to do to prevent herself form getting shot crossed her mind until she saw the stranger slamming an arrow into its head, the Chitauri briefly standing after the hit before succumbing to the stranger’s weight as it plummeted to the ground beside her.  
“That makes two of us. Agent Barton- I’d shake hands under different circumstances.” the man smirked at his own sarcasm, earning a shaky laugh from Amelia as she still recovered from realizing she wasn’t killed, after all.   
“T-thanks. That was certainly an untimely rescue. Amelia- currently damsel in distress, as it appears.”  
“No problem, I heard you have a pretty applaudable skillset. There’s a water sewer just beneath the buildings over there, maybe you can use it.” Barton scurried away as quickly as he had appeared, Amelia hearing the grunts of strain coming from both parties as the trio beside her fought the Chitauri that took the place of the ones they had just killed. Amelia strained her eyes at where Barton had mentioned, and sure enough, she could feel the water shaking against the tunnel it was kept in. She reached her hand out, finding it easier to concentrate as she almost glared holes into the ground trying to will the water up from the enclosed space it was in. She fell back with a sigh of frustration. She had to get closer. Amelia looked over the car, seeing the Chitauri occupied with her current allies. She licked her lips, before hastily attempting to make her way across the open street.   
“Amelia! Watch out!” Amelia rolled onto her back as she felt a blast of energy graze her shoulder, the shot causing an instant burn to the area it almost hit. She growled as she threw her back into another car, still halfway across from where she needed to be to get to the water source. The Chitauri that had aimed for her, was quickly mauled by Steve’s shield as he approached Amelia, her only now noticing how ridiculous he looked wearing that spandex skin-tight suit.   
“You okay?” he clasped a hand against her shoulder, quickly apologizing when she hissed at the touch. “You’re hit!”  
“No- it just grazed me. Still hurts like hell, though. I don’t think I’m used to getting hit by alien space-guns.”  
“You should get to safety. We can take it from here.” Amelia frowned at Steve’s request, thinking it impossible for her to back out now. There were other people’s lives at stake, and he still seemed to consider her some kind of frail package he had to protect.  
“I can do this- I just need to get over there to channel the water’s energy.”  
“Right. I’ll cover you.” Amelia nodded, suddenly feeling guilty for still holding a grudge against him. She quickly ran over to the other side of the street, jumping behind a newspaper stand before she turned to Steve, who was deflecting shots from a Chitauri across from them. Amelia took a sharp breath, finally able to bend the water as she felt it surge up from the sewer canal. Before Steve could finish off their attacker, he stopped as the familiar red cape flared down from the sky, Thor suddenly appearing as he tossed his hammer, instantly crushing the Chitauri’s face as it fell. Amelia wasn’t the only one to survive Loki’s attack, now was she? Thor’s presence seemed to attract more of the Chitauri, and he quickly called upon the thunder, raising the hammer into the air before lightning struck it, charging it before he threw the lighting across the street onto a group of Chitauri that had climbed up from below the bridge.   
“I am relieved to see you’re all standing! Yous should know that my brother didn’t kill Amelia- she’s actually-“  
“Yeah, we know! She’s right here!” Steve shouted after Thor as the Chitauri attacks stilled down for the moment, causing Thor to stare wide-eyed as he finally had the chance to look over in Amelia’s direction. Sitting behind the blue metal stand, she awkwardly raised her hand.  
“Sup.”  
“You’re alright?” he asked, looking almost confused before an unreadable expression crossed his face. Amelia parted her lips when she realized what Thor was thinking. He wondered why Amelia was fighting with them, and not against them. He seemed to certain that Loki would put her under the scepter’s influence, it almost made her wonder bitterly why he didn’t. at least not the same way he had apparently put others under it.   
“Well, that can be debated. But I’m me, if that’s what you’re asking.”  
“Oh- that’s good, Lady Amelia! I was convinced my brother had-“  
“Yeah, I thought so too, but Loki seems- complicated.” Amelia wondered if Thor would ever forgive his brother for what he was doing and had done over the last couple of weeks. If Loki had a chance to redeem himself, save all these relationships with his family even if he had gone slightly over the line for what she, at least, considered acceptable. If he was going to stand a chance against whatever punishment he was facing, they had to know he was under the scepter’s influence, too. Amelia stood up, taking it for granted that the street was clear for now as she followed Thor and Steve along the road towards Natasha and Barton. Still keeping the water at an approachable distance, Amelia stopped as they grouped up. Steve exchanged words with Thor, who looked distraught as he answered.  
“The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable.” The Tesseract? Amelia frowned, realizing that was what actually powered the portal above them. Loki went through all that trouble to get it. Thor and Loki had gotten here themselves somehow, right? Why would he spend all this time gathering what he needed for the Tesseract to work, when there was obviously other ways to get to Earth? Before Amelia could get an answer to her own question, she was cut off by the sudden surge of air above them as a red, flying suit lowering itself before floating effortlessly above them in the air.  
“Thor’s right. We gotta deal with these guys.” Stark’s voice was unmistakable. Amelia saw him turned towards the street, looking up to see the Chitauri floating past them. Amelia followed the others as the started walking the street, her boots crunching against the concrete debris of the ruins around them, listening but not really listening as Steve laid out a plan. Abruptly, he was cut off by the sound of an engine running before turning off, resulting in him turning his head to see what everyone else could see. Was that- Banner? On a motorcycle? Amelia walked towards him as he got off his bike, realizing the others had the same idea. Judging by the silent tension between them, something else had happened on the Helicarrier that Amelia hadn’t been present to experience.  
“So-“ Banner waved his arms in the air, motioning to the hell that had formed around the city. “-this all seems horrible.”  
“I’ve seen worse.” Natasha suddenly remarked, earning an apologetic, yet annoyed look form Banner. Amelia’s eyes flickered to both of them, still kept in the dark about what had happened. Just how long was she even unconscious after the explosion? The others were literally nowhere to be seen when she woke up. Why had they even left her there in the first place? Amelia looked down in dread, earning a raised brow from Barton as he noticed her expression.   
“You good?” he asked, and Amelia raised her brows with a sigh, trying to shake off the bad feeling in her gut.  
“Yeah. Just a little- overwhelmed.”  
“First time fighting, huh? At least, of what you remember, from what I’ve heard.”  
“Yeah.” Amelia didn’t want to linger on it. She had spent two months, practically in solitary trying to figure out what had happened- what the hell was wrong with her, really without anyone by her side to help her with it. It didn’t even matter to her anymore, but somehow as much as she tried to forget and feel normal for once, everyone she met seemed to want to bring it up. Banner had powers- hell, Thor was a god! Why didn’t they raise questions around their abilities at all? Why did it always feel, like Amelia was the odd one out?  
“Well, shit. We got incoming.” Barton suddenly noted, Amelia looking in the direction of his stare to see what he meant. She didn’t even have to see it to hear it. The scraping of what looked like the metal armor of the largest alien she had seen was slowly making its way down the street, crushing its way past the building to reach them. She frowned- how were they going to take that on?  
“Now might be a really good time to get angry.” Steve suddenly chimed in at Banner, earning a silent smirk from the doctor as he made his way while unbuttoning his shirt, unprotected towards the large creature in front of them.   
“That’s my secret, Captain.” Banner looked away, facing the alien before his skin slowly started to turn a deep shade of green. “I’m always angry.” His body morphed in resonance with his words, before he grew out of his trousers, rendering them to a tight pair of shorts, now turned into the monster Banner saw himself out to be. Amelia stared wide-eyed with astonishment as she heard the Hulk roar as his fist collided with the slithering creature that was now almost right in front of them. His body plundered into the asphalt, the creature falling limp by the impact of the Hulk’s rage. Amelia backtracked, before connecting with the water below her to finally be able to defend herself from the Chitauri that seemed to keep coming. Stark aimed at the alien as it bulged upwards, Amelia scooping down beside Barton as the alien was blasted to bits. Amelia looked bewildered as the head rolled over the bridge and down onto the road below, looking back at Barton who looked more amused than anything else. He bolted up as the explosion against the alien subsided, Amelia mimicking his movement when she noticed how everyone, including Hulk, seemed to line up in a circle as the cry of the remaining Chitauri noticing the defeat of their large ally resonated throughout the streets surrounding them. The sight was quite something. The Avengers standing there despite what had just happened, seemingly unfaced by it, ready for the next wave as if it was a regular training session. This was the kind of person SHIELD wanted her to be? No. They had something else in mind for her. No matter how hard she tried to be the good guy, there was something about her abilities that made them see her as something different. Something not human. Steve’s voice suddenly called her out of her thoughts, causing her to jump when he spoke.  
“Amelia- you take the street below. You have the most precise ability here- less chance for civilians to get caught in the crossfire. Get them underground.” No. She wasn’t made for this. Her power didn’t protect anyone. It destroyed them. Intentionally or not.   
“Sorry, you’re on your own.” Amelia almost gulped as all eyes were set on her.   
“What do you mean ‘you’re on your own’? If you haven’t noticed, Neptune, the city is under attack. You don’t get to ride solo anymore.” Stark had stepped forward, his suit making him even more intimidating than he appeared usually. Amelia licked her lips, shaking her head.  
“I’m not an Avenger. SHIELD had another purpose for me- I-I mean even Loki said-“   
“Who gives a shit what Reindeer-games told you!? He’s every Disney villain combined! His lies are lies! No offense, Thor.” Amelia stuttered, trying to think of what to say when she realized they weren’t going to let her go. They had to-  
“Guys- we got incoming! And many of them!” Natasha eliminated the tension between the Avengers and Amelia as she warned them of the Chitauri stragglers that had formed behind them. Amelia turned around, her pupils dilating with the sting of fear that almost feltlike it was about to rip her chest out. They weren’t just a few stragglers- there were hundreds of them.  
“What’s your call, Cap? This might get ugly.” Natasha said calmly, Amelia almost more frightened by the fact that the woman seemed unfaced even by the army approaching them, than the fact that there was a fucking army approaching them! They couldn’t just plow their way through them either, now could they? Amelia looked at Thor, who was readying his hammer- her eyes flickering to Hulk as he roared impatiently as the army approached. Steve, for once, looked to be at a loss of words, despite Natasha’s question to him. Amelia looked down in thought, before she recalled the very reason the Avengers seemed to accept her in the first place.  
“A victory.” She mumbled, absently walking forwards as she felt the water from the sewer connect into a big mass in the one place she wanted it to come out of.   
“What- I’ve heard about optimistic but that’s a little overrated, don’t you think? Even for us…” Barton readied his bow none the less, looking at Amelia as if she was crazy. Natasha pondered on her words, earning a strange look from the Captain who seemed oblivious to what Natasha figured out.   
“No- a victory. Thor! Get ready.” Amelia yelled, earning a rumble of appreciation from Thor as he finally recognized his own choice of words. He strode forward, following Amelia, looking back at the other Avengers with a smirk of satisfaction.  
“Watch and learn, mortals.” Stark rolled his eyes at Thor’s smug expression, though he was secretly rooting for his success, while also being silently proud of Amelia. Just a minute ago she was talking about leaving- but when faced with literally an army of Chitauri, then she wanted to act on it? If he hadn’t known better, he’d think she was getting bored. Amelia raised her hands, channeling the energy from the water as it stirred upwards towards ground level, slowly seeping out from the drain in front of the approaching army of shrieking aliens.   
“You know what to do, Thor?”   
“Aye, indeed, Lady Amelia. They will sing songs of this feat.”  
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Amelia smirked, straining her fingers with a heavy grunt before the drain gave in to the force of the water, erupting into an almost volcanic-like state as the water shot into the air, one unfortunate Chitauri falling as the water forced the plate to the drain right into his chest. “It’s just water, after all.” Thor leaped forward, thunder collecting in Mjolnir before he watched Amelia extend her arms to both sides, the water responding to her movement as it gushed towards the army front. Thor took the que and swiftly brought down the lightning with a roar, watching with an ear-to-ear grin as the thunder connected with the water, creating a smoking wall of liquid that turned almost purple as the lightning flickered in it before ultimately cutting straight into the army. The Chitauri’s weapons dropped instantly, their bodies shaking as they barely managed to scream out in pain before the edge of the water brought them to their knees, the sound of sizzling flesh and burnt metal roaming through the air. Amelia watched both confident, yet worried at the same time that it wouldn’t be enough. Thor landed on the ground beside Amelia, the frown on his face turning to another wide grin as he laughed at the scenery that took place after the water stilled. They were all dead. Amelia dropped her arms to her side, disbelief washing over her as she found herself unable to quickly count how many she helped take out.   
“You said you weren’t an Avenger, and yet you turn around and almost single-handedly defeat an army of alien invaders. SHIELD may have different intentions, but I see this for what it is. Great teamwork. You’re an Avenger, Iceland.” Amelia smiled weakly at Stark’s comment, not really hearing the praise he put into it.   
“Iceland? Because of the drain?” Steve suddenly noted, earning a ‘really’ look from Stark. Steve put his hands up, earning a small chuckle from the others. Amelia turned around, unable to resist laughing as well as she looked up at the unaware blonde.   
“Honestly, Steve, sometimes you’re a real-“ everyone’s eyes widened, a sudden notion of silence surrounding them, despite the large surge of energy that cut through the sound-barrier, a minute wasted before they realized what had happened. Amelia was the last to see it, the pain not really kicking in until the Avenger’s laughs and smiles turned to wide-eyed stares at her as they all quickly, and yet so slowly rushed towards her. Amelia looked down, noticing how the purple seemed to radiate out of her chest, coated by the deep red that flowed against the burning energy. Amelia tugged at the faint glow, her smile only now faltering as she mentally screamed at the pain. It didn’t hurt, not really. But it was a shot to the chest, and she was bleeding. A lot. She dropped to her knees, unable to feel the bulky arms that wrapped around her as she was slowly placed on her back instead of falling. Faces covered her vision as they almost shook her trying to save her. Amelia’s eyes widened at the thought. That meant she was dying.   
“Well, t-that… fucking- s-sucks.” She joked, earning nothing but sympathetic looks of concern and grief from the others as she wheezed her way through the comment. There was a pressure to her chest and she gulped, finding that her chest ha slowly stopped moving. Her heartbeat echoed in her head, getting louder and louder- so loud she couldn’t think. She closed her eyes, trying to make out her own words. The energy source- it enhanced the music of the water- made very molecule brighter, easier to bend. What was happening to her? Was it normal to feel lighter and, dare say, more powerful when you were dying? Amelia felt a tug at her chest, a strange soothing presence lingering on what she assumed was her wound. It seemed to stitch it together, like she was some kind of knitting project made out of water. There was a familiar tingle that seemed to extend across her body, forcing her eyes open when they reached what felt like the very depths of her orbs. She bolted up with a gasp, confused when she finally saw the Avengers still hovering over her, their eyes wide- but not for the same reason as before. Something was different- and she was alive. Renewed, even.  
“What?” she dared ask, earning a look of relief from the others at the sound of the return of the strength in her voice. She was okay, Amelia thought with a tug of her lips.  
“Well- Amelia. You’re looking a little- blue.” Natasha sighed, lips strained into a look of concern, eyes a blue hue despite their green color. Amelia snorted at the irony of her remark, the redhaired woman furrowing her brows. Now it was her turn to ask.  
“What?”  
“Well, as it turns out, I remember. “ Amelia paused, taking a breath to recollect herself from the fact that she had almost just died. “-I remember that I am the Blue Lagoon.”


	8. VIII - Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia is transformed, and the Avengers finally overthrow Loki's plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's there to say except hopefully enjoy this piece, as well? Hope everyone are staying safe, wherever you are. :)

“Your name is Blue?” Stark was less than amused, his voice echoing through the helmet of his suit as he crossed his arms watching the others carefully pull Amelia up from the ground. She shrugged, taken aback when there was no pain invovled with her harsh movement. Her wound was gone- what should have been a scorched hole along the right of her chest was now a slur of clear blue skin beneath her brown leather jacket, which slowly seemed to revert back to the pale skin she usually had. While he was relieved she was alive, Stark couldn’t explain how it made him feel to see her look so- different. Her hair was darker, the once deep brown now more close to raven black locks of curly hair framing her face, lined with strands of what almost reminded him of running streams of water. The same texture had spread to the depths of her eyes, her dark irises now a turquoise blue that seemed to both glow and flow like waves around her almost non-existent pupils. For lack of better words, Stark found it... eerie.   
“You’re all staring. Why?” Stark blinked, shaking his head to counteract the acid trip he felt he had been on. He gave a quiet look to Steve and Natasha, before he reacted to Hulk’s impatient stomping. Despite everyone being in shock about Amelia’s current condition, they had a city to save.   
“Green bean’s right. We need to stop Loki before he extends his gaping hole up there. Ugh- why did I say it like that- everyone!” Stark shouted, all eyes on him just as they all heard the faint buzzing the Chitauri’s vehicles approaching them. “You all remember your posts? Good- now get to it. Amelia- get to the Stark tower as fast as you can. Have a drink- you’re free to take anything- _anything_ from my apartment. Just not the green, pungent liquid at the bar table. Just don’t. Try to find a way to stop the Tesseract and wait until we defeat Loki and then you can waterboard him back to space.” Amelia was raising a brow at Stark’s mumbling, lips parted in confusion trying to understand what he was briefing her about.   
“Ok-ay…” eyes flickering to the others for some kind of explanation to Stark’s state of mind at the moment, Amelia once again thought back to Stark and Natasha’s remarks from before, when she found that they were all staring absently at her. Amelia knew something was different, but she hadn’t thought of what that meant. Her eyes moved almost guiltily towards her reflection in a still intact window across the street, drawing a sharp breath at what it revealed. The Avengers beside her- Thor with Mjolnir and his iconic red cape, Agent Barton with the extended compound bow, fiddling with the tip of an arrow in his free hand, refusing to look up to see the same thing as she did.   
“I-“ she tried, finding no explanation to what she was looking at. Thor shifted beside her, his blue orbs staring down at her with an unreadable expression, lingering with both worry for her new look, as well as an expression that led her to believe he wasn’t as surprised to see it as the others. She had to pull herself together. Amelia sighed, looking up at the portal in the sky.  
“At least I didn’t turn into a puddle, right? I’ll see you all at the tower.” The others nodded, and Amelia smiled as they made some kind of sympathetic notion of her joke. The mechanics of Stark’s suit rumbled as he parted ways with them, and Amelia breathed a thanks as the others scattered with a motion of good luck to everyone. Amelia looked at the Stark font resting along the top of the tower a few blocks down, before she disappeared down the street, the sinking feeling in her gut fueling her attacks against the scattered Chitauri she encountered on her way.   
Amelia was chewing her nails, eyes staring into the floor of the very room Loki had brought her to when she first arrived back in New York. Hugging her knees close to herself, she struggled to avoid her reflection on the many shiny surfaces Stark had maintained in his apartment. Everything from the elevator doors to the modern sculptures scattered across the room seemed to taunt the image she couldn’t seem to forget of herself. After fighting the Chitauri, Amelia had realized something had happened to her after she was shot. Surviving that hit in the first place was remarkable in itself. But her powers after she woke up were elevated, to the point where she found herself unable to control them. The collateral damage she imagined she had caused along the way, especially when she encountered the first Chitauri made her painfully aware of her abilities. This was essentially how the others viewed her, too. How would they react if they saw her now? They’d lock her up, and for once she couldn’t find any reason to disagree. Whatever that blast of energy had done, it had changed her.   
Amelia sighed, grabbing the half-empty bottle of whiskey she had taken from Stark’s bar counter. She took a generous sip, licking her lips to hide the sharp taste. New York was in ruins, hundreds of people were probably dead and here she was, paralyzed by the fact that she had turned into some kind of- monster. A sudden loud crash made her bolt up in fright, startled as she turned to the sound. Whatever was happening outside had escaped her, and now she was looking straight at the green cape flaring on the balcony past the wrecked row of windows in front of her.   
“What the fuck?” she whispered, breath shaking as she was further startled when the green cape started to move. There was a deep dent in the fundament where it had landed, and for a moment Amelia thought wishfully that it was just the cape that was really heavy. It certainly looked like it was. Amelia stumbled backwards, slightly light-headed by the whiskey as she watched the cape turn, revealing the familiar black leather and golden armor of none other than Loki. The god himself was rolling onto his back, before he seemed to slowly lift himself off the ground, eyes scouring his surroundings before his stinging blue orbs landed on her. Amelia’s lips quivered, chest heaving as his wide-eyed expression turned to a dark smirk as he stood up, revealing his tall height to her when he straightened his back. He waltzed straight inside through the open windowsill.  
“Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise? Have you come to greet me, dear?”  
“H-hardly- but you look like you’ve already greeted a tanks.” Loki’s nostrils flared at her sarcasm, his eyes remaining on her as he closed in on her. Amelia fell back, eyes wide as Loki stalled to over her shaking form.  
“As if you mere mortals could ever-“ Amelia felt the floor shake as there was another flash of green that knocked out both her and Loki as it flew in seemingly out of nowhere. Amelia groaned as she tumbled across the floor, her shoulder connecting with the splinters of an overturned couch before her back landed on a cold glass surface that instantly broke under the weight of her body crashing into it. Glass scattered around her, Amelia dug her hands into it as she crept up on her knees, head craning to look over the couch as she saw Loki bolting up and confronting the large, green creature before him. Banner, Amelia breathed, a smile crossing her face briefly before the Hulk suddenly started slamming Loki into the floor. Amelia could only watch in awe as Loki was rendered completely defeated in the depths of the hole Hulk had created. Loki’s wheezed at the attack, his face bloodied and covered in the debris of the spot that had connected with his form the countless times Hulk did him in.   
“J-jesus, Hulk!” Hulk was walking away from Loki’s form, chest heaving before he turned to Amelia with a satisfied grin. Amelia shook her head with a brief laugh, grunting as she dragged herself up with the support of the couch’s side. She walked over to Loki, still wary of his presence, despite how done for he appeared.   
“Correction- you look like you’ve been greeted by Hulk, already.” Loki didn’t answer, his eyes barely able to look up at her. Amelia smiled almost sadly at his state, wondering if she could at least help him up. She looked over to the balcony, where the Chitauri were still roaming the sky. As long as they were there, she couldn’t help their commander, now could she? Amelia felt a sigh escape her lips as she shifted to sit down beside Loki.   
“Ms.Amelia.” JARVIS? Amelia looked up, halting in her action as she subconsciously looked around for the source of JARVIS’ voice, despite being fully aware he wasn’t actually physically there.   
“What’s going on?”  
“Agent Romanoff is up on the roof. They need the scepter to possibly counteract the power from the Tesseract.”  
“Then- that means it can shut down the power, right?”  
“Possibly. The scepter is on the balcony.”  
“Right- I’ll get it.” Amelia nodded to herself, eyes flickering towards the balcony before turning back to Loki. With an exhausted breath, she scrambled towards it, jumping out the same way Loki- and apparently Hulk had come in, bending over the scepter before reaching out to it. Amelia halted, eyes widening when her hand made contact with it. The ringing tone almost seemed to explode in her ears, a warning that touching it might just unleash whatever power it had over her. Amelia hesitantly shook away her thoughts, her fingers latching around it as she lifted it up, eyes scanning the rooftop above her before she scurried back inside towards the elevator with wide steps to reach it faster.  
“Don’t…do… it.” Amelia stopped, turning around to look at Loki who was still lying stretched out on the floor. His head had moved now, eyes staring intently at her as he tried to reach his hand forward. Amelia looked him up and down with disbelief.   
“This has to stop Loki, you know that. I’ll see you later, probably.” Amelia clicked the button to the elevator, hurrying inside the minute it dinged as a sound of its arrival. Moving upwards, Amelia was suddenly left alone for a moment to digest the singing tune of the scepter, eyes lingering subconsciously on the whispers the glowing, blue piece of it seemed to emit. Even though she had not verified it, Amelia felt as if the scepter could return her memories. It had enacted a piece of her past before, under Loki’s influence. She had no idea how to do it, but maybe it would give her all her memories back, not just images she had to constantly interpret. The scepter had a mind of its own, and though she could not explain it- she knew it was taunting her. Daring her to consume its power. Become one with it.  
“Amelia?” at the mention of her name, she snapped out of her thoughts, eyes wide as her head snapped towards the now open doors to the elevator, the horizon of New York resting behind the sultry appearance of Natasha, despite the fact that she was covered in newfound battle wounds, the dirt even neatly placed upon her face as she greeted Amelia with a cautious expression.   
“Can we stop this?” Amelia said, handing the scepter quickly to Natasha, hoping it would make her break free from the scepter’s grasp to have it out of reach. Natasha raised a brow at the quick gesture, but didn’t question it as she hurried back to what appeared to be the source powering the hole in the sky.   
“I hope so. Selvig says it’s the only power strong enough to withhold the Tesseract’s energy. They’re apparently equal to each other in some way. I don’t understand it, but right now we don’t have anything else to go on.”  
“Right.” Amelia didn’t really listen, her mind still eerily occupied by the chance to get her previous life back, whatever had happened to her prior to the two months she had been like this. What kind of person was she like? Did she have a job, a home- a family? Amelia sighed, eyes flickering towards the hermit-looking man that was shaking behind Natasha as he looked around himself with a shocked expression. He had been under the scepter’s influence, too.   
“You okay?” he turned to her with a hesitant nod, eyes tracking her for a moment before he seemed to remember himself, quickly reaching his hand out for Amelia to shake.  
“Eric Selvig. Maybe now, I will be. I was under control this entire time, a-and I have to admit it’s hard to imagine anything else, even if it wasn’t for very long. It still resonates within me, if you could say that.  
“Do you know what the scepter really is? Why it behaves like it does?” Selvig gasped under his breath. He took a sharp breath, parting his lips to speak before he was cut off by Natasha.   
“There’s been a change of plans! A missile’s headed straight for New York- Stark’s gonna send it through the portal!” Amelia’s eyes darted up with a sharp breath, the motion almost giving her a whiplash as she saw the familiar metal suit fly upwards towards the portal.  
“What the hell is he doing?! He won’t come back if we close it when he’s in it!”  
“He’s aware. But the missile detonates in 2 minutes. It’ll blow up the entire city if it stays here.” Natasha frowned, following Amelia’s eyes while standing ready with the scepter against the barrier around the Tesseract. Stark had never occurred to Amelia as a very responsible person, and now look at him. He was going to die up there, either from space itself or the creatures they were facing. Amelia yelped thinking about his fate left to those monsters.  
“Is there nothing we can do to help?” Anything Amelia could think of doing made her feel helpless. She wouldn’t make it in time either way, so she wondered why she even bothered asking. Natasha noticed her conflicted expression, causing Amelia to jump when she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
“Stark wanted to do this. You’ve done everything you could, Amelia.” Amelia nodded reluctantly, biting her lips as tears silently streamed down her cheeks. Natasha gave a sympathetic smile, before Stark called the shot and she quickly had to slide the scepter into the barrier. Amelia stepped back with Selvig, watching as the glowing beam of light erupting from the blue box dimmed down, the portal quickly starting to close without the energy holding it open.   
“It’s done.” Natasha said across her earpiece, lips pursed before she got the message on the other side of the line from Steve. She looked up at Amelia with a relieved grin, subtly revealing how Stark’s demise had affected her as well, despite the lack of emotions she displayed about it. Amelia mimicked her smile in between weeps, the flow of tears not daring to subside until she had proof of what Natasha’s expression suggested.  
“He made it.” Amelia chuckled with disbelief. “We should go downstairs and reprimand the god behind all of this.” Amelia nodded. Looking out over the city, she finally saw the aliens drop to the ground, no longer capable of terrorizing the people they had come for. It was finally over. The only thing that remained, was Loki. How the hell was she going to explain that she vowed to plead his case after all of this?


	9. IX - Hail Hydra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia and Loki seem to realize a strange bond between them, and the Avengers get the surprise of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this. I have been waiting to finish it ever since I had the idea, and now, here it is. Hopefully enjoyable. Goodnight/day. :)

The agent reached a set of tough steel doors, body shaking as he took a deep breath, preparing for the sight beyond the heavy metal wall in front of him. His associates were already dead, some by the battle that had taken place in New York, all unfortunate enough to have stumbled upon the alien invaders at the wrong place and the wrong time. Others- the agent shivered at the thought- had all been compromised and undoubtedly dealt with when he hadn’t heard anymore from them. The sudden call summoning him made him want to throw up. The door shifted, creaking against the hinges as the dark space behind them slowly revealed themselves to the agent. He blinked, surprised by seeing nothing but pitch black. He was well acquainted with their methods of interrogation- but as he reluctantly stepped inside, the instant feeling of dread seemed to freeze his blood. He almost shrieked as a sudden shadow came to sight, raising himself from the chair that had magically appeared inside the room. Silent strolls echoing through the agent’s ears, he quicky looked down as the dark silhouette began to speak.

“You are aware your companions have been compromised?”

“Y-yes, sir.” The agent spoke in shame, fear making his hairs stand on the edge of his neck at the familiar voice of the man standing mere feet away from him. There was no denying how the man’s words made the agent shrink, even when he had not yet addressed the agent’s own fate yet. The Leader was a cold man, even to his own.

“Good. I have one last job for you, agent- and I know I shouldn’t have to explain what will happen if you were to fail.”

“O-of course, s-sir.” The agent breathed a sigh of relief amidst his stumbling words, eyes blinking almost with disbelief at the Leader’s assignment.

“The subject, has ben compromised by your superiors, including me. Siding with the Avengers was an unfortunate event on our part- and so I feel- _generous_ to let your obvious failure pass this time. You’re still young, and yet you’ve sworn so much to this cause. I trust you’re still feeling that way?”

“I do. Sir.”

“Marvelous. Then you know what to do. Let it be known that she was _our_ asset- it’s time they started seeing us as a real threat.” The agent frowned with realization at the Leader’s words, convinced the subject he had supervised all this time was made for that sake alone. To show the world what they could do. It almost frightened him to think so- after so many years of trying and failing, it almost escaped him how they chose to let the asset go so soon. But it was not in his place to judge, not after he had been given this new chance to succeed. He trusted the Leader, and he trusted the cause. With a firm salute as he stomped his foot on the concrete floor with his own dismissal.

“Hail Hydra!” the agent turned on his heel, marching out of the building with a new purpose in mind. A new target. Project Blue Lagoon…

Amelia couldn’t help but frown as Loki was tossed into chains. She hadn’t approved of SHIELD’s methods before and it certainly hadn’t changed. SHIELD was about to annihilate New York before Stark saved them, and almost got himself killed in the process. Why SHIELD was still involved was beyond Amelia. For a division specialized in handling otherworldly invasions, she was frightened to sense their own fear clouding their judgements. She was walking behind the Director himself, absent-minded about the glare she directed at him. She was also completely unaware she had caught up to the god in chains being led by two SHIELD soldiers in the process, before he brought her back to reality by pointing it out to her.

“My- what did Fury ever do to you? You look positively daunting, Lady Amelia.” Amelia snapped her head towards the smirking god, his features darkened by the shadows forming with the tug of his lips. She blinked, before she understood what Loki had meant.

“Well- the rattling of the chains seems to bring back old memories.”

“On the contrary, they’re quite recent as I recall. I wonder- what will they do to keep you from destroying this world? From what I’ve seen, your capability of doing so is- I dare say astonishing.” Amelia’s face hardened, lips pursing into a warning line at Loki’s assumptions.

“I believe I’ve had a revelation during the chaos you administered, God of Mischief. They would do well not to displease me.”

“Spoken like a true villainess. Why didn’t you take my side when you could?” Amelia didn’t answer, letting her eyes wonder back to Loki’s chains, his hands pale and calloused, still healing from the beating he had taken. The chains were tight, secured by a line of glowing metal Amelia briefly feared caused a disruption with Loki’s ability to cast magic. Could they do the same to her? Loki was less than pleased with her intent to ignore him, and his smirk grew even wider to rattle the woman’s emotions beside her.

“Which reminds me- you made a promise to me. I believe it’s soon time for me to collect it.” Amelia frowned, almost stopping in her tracks at his remark. She hadn’t forgotten, but hearing him with the full intent to torment her with her own words, she shrunk in her posture, realizing the Trickster God might have fooled her yet again.

“I forget your reputation preceeds you, Trickster God. I feel ill to hear my own words being used against me.”

“Oh, not you- it’s for my captors. You said so yourself, they wouldn’t want to anger you, now would they?” Amelia sighed frustratingly, realizing how much fun Loki was having tossing her words around when she saw him almost chuckle at her disdain. As much as she tried to keep her composure around him, she found herself unable to resist his attempts at mocking her- or whatever it was he was doing. The brief look of vulnerability she had seen in him at Stark’s apartment, even if it was intentional, had stricken her. It had become a weakness. She meant to make good on her word, but despite her abilities, she feared what it would mean to go up against SHIELD.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about back there, but I don’t like the sound of it. Amelia, if there is anything you’d like to say- or anything you’d like someone _not_ to say, now’s the time to let us know.” Fury suddenly chimed from in front of them, Amelia blinking at the suggestive comment, before she turned to Loki with an equally contemplating smirk as he had flashed her before. Loki’s gaze hardened as he followed her eyes as she answered to Fury.

##### “Actually-“

Seeing Loki silenced by some kind of mask they had locked around his jaw made Amelia feel sorry, before his anger-fueled eyes towards her somehow changed her mind. It shouldn’t have but seeing him unable to express anything except through his eyes caused a discomforting appeal to her. She could finally ignore him in peace and leave herself to her own thoughts. Despite the moment of silence, Amelia was still distracted by Loki as he seemed to stare her down as they were both led into one of SHIELDS’ cars. She struggled not to meet his gaze, while attempting to avoid it at the same time. As the car set to drive to wherever they were headed, it was even more uncomfortable to feel Loki shift beside her, having somehow been planted in the middle section of the backseat with no means to put his long legs anywhere but beside hers and the SHIELD soldier on Loki’s opposite side. Amelia thought it might have been purely out of spite. For someone as tall and broad-shouldered as Loki, it would be a nightmare.

“You could have let me be, you know.” Amelia mumbled as she forced her head to face the window beside her, her hand resting on the edge of the car door. Loki furrowed his brows at the remark, still insisting on whatever strategy it was to constantly keep her in sight. Amelia noticed the notion from her sideview, letting out a frustrated grunt as she almost hit her fist against the window.

“What do you want?!” Loki, of course, couldn’t answer, but she knew her frustration was all part of his strategy. Wrinkles formed around his eyes, signifying despite not seeing it, he was smirking underneath his mask.

“He’s infatuated with you ma’am.” One of the soldiers caught her by surprise- having remained silent along with his colleagues during the entire ride. She realized it was the one in front of her, as the driver and Loki’s left snorted at the comment. Loki’s eyes darkened, and for the first time since receiving his mask, muffled sounds erupted from underneath it. Amelia eyed the soldiers chuckling, before she gazed back at Loki- watching his eyes darken towards the soldier in front of them. Amelia realized it was her time to stare as Loki continued to helplessly talk against the teasing comment. Loki’s eye suddenly flashed towards her, piercing through her stare as Amelia quickly averted her eyes, horrified when her cheeks grew hot against the palm of her hand as she leaned her chin onto it.

“I think he’d kill me right now if he could.” Amelia said, trying to hide her obvious blushing. The same soldier chuckled under his breath as if her remark was a joke.

“Hardly, I see this all the time with my daughter. She’ll be ten this year. The boys always tease her, tugging at her hair, stealing her pencils-“ Amelia frowned, wondering what the soldier was getting at before he continued to prove his point. “-staring at her for no reason, trying to get her attention when she’s trying to ignore them…” the others chuckled again, and Amelia suddenly felt like the center of their joke as they laughed. It felt very condescending, meant with ill intent. IT was their way of coping with the destruction Loki had caused. They couldn’t harm him or kill him. And so they resorted to humiliating him. And her in the process. She had hurt someone too- maybe they were trying to hurt her back that way. She drew a breath to say something at the realization, but quickly shut her lips to remain silent, falling back into her seat with her arms crossed over her chest. Loki followed her movements with interest, silently wondering what she had intended to say. He was fully aware of their intentions- and he imagined that’s what had lit up inside Amelia’s eyes, as well. Eyes that were now- _blue_ … Loki frowned at the sight- how had he missed it? She had changed since he last saw her. Her hair- dark and more translucent at the same time. Like it was a completely different texture. Her clothes were ragged, a large hole burnt through the middle of her shirt, exposing a gap of skin that grew deeper when she crossed her arms. Loki looked away quickly as the thought hit him, silently swallowing as he tried to rearrange his legs. His knee accidentally brushed against the rough fabric on Amelia’s thighs, causing her to flinch at the sudden contact. Loki quickly put them down, eyes staring ahead as they pulled over, where he could see Thor talking with the other Avengers while Fury prepared the familiar glowing cube beside him. Even as much as he had pondered if his brother would drag him back to Asgard or not, it seemed to subside against the strange feeling he had in his gut when he realized he wouldn’t be on Earth anymore. What in the nine realms did that mean?

Amelia stretched her legs as she got out, trying to cover up the fact that she had exited the car with such a speed it almost looked suspicious. The others, including Loki and the SHIELD soldiers had already grouped up ahead of her, standing beside the road onto a platform looking out towards the city. She sighed, feeling slightly warm across her face at the almost electric touch Loki had innocently caused her inside the car. It had been almost freezing, hadn’t it been for the layers of fabric between them- and while Amelia was more concerned about why she was so embarrassed about the whole situation, it sent a chill down her spine at what the effect of the touch had, even if for a brief moment. She looked thoughtfully down at her thigh, watching the pale skin underneath the small rifts across her pants. A second ago, the skin ha started to glow. And Amelia felt it almost painfully so. Was it another one of her abilities? And if so- Amelia looked up at Loki as she reluctantly walked up to the others- what did Loki have to do with it?

Loki frowned as Amelia caught up to them, her presence causing him to unwillingly recognize it as he was still too riled up by his own thoughts towards her. There was something about her that made him ill, without a better word for it. Even Thor couldn’t seem to get his attention, and quickly noticed Loki was preoccupied with Amelia’s form appearing before them.

“Lady Amelia. We made quite the team, didn’t we?”

“Oh- Thor. Yes, I believe we did.” Amelia nodded absently, almost out of breath as her head snapped towards the blonde. Thor was almost astonished to see her as preoccupied as Loki was, which made him wonder what had happened between the two when he wasn’t around. He smiled and brushed the thought away, lining up with Loki onto the platform where he was soon handed the Tesseract. He looked back at the remaining Avengers present, noticing their alarmed eyes aimed at his brother.

“Get back safely.” Natasha chimed, arms crossed over her chest, brows furrowing, revealing the tiniest wound across her left brow. Banner was anxiously staring Loki down while fiddling with his hands, Stark beside him, having appeared not soon after Loki and Amelia. Steve was also there, eyes upon Amelia for a change as she strolled to stand beside him.

“I thank you for your aid in retrieving my brother. I promise he will be punished for his actions.”

“He better. There are a lot of angry people here ready to do so.” Fury had his hands folded behind his back, an intimidating posture with his dark leather coat. Thor nodded, ashamed of what Loki had done- and still reluctant to accept that Earth had deemed Loki an enemy, despite everything that had happened. Thor looked back at Loki, sighing as he released his grip on of the handles of the Tesseract container for Loki to grab onto. Loki’s eyes flickered at the cube before realigning with Thor’s expecting ones again. Almost with a roll of his eyes, adjusting the chains on his hands to grab onto it. He halted as the sudden familiar voice called out to them.

“Wait!” Amelia almost sprinted up to them, eyes flaring with determination as she licked her lips awkwardly facing Thor while her eyes simultaneously flickered back and forth to Loki.

“I made a promise.” Thor looked confused, a friendly smile still lingering on his face as he looked down at the hesitant woman. Stuttering to find the right words while still making it short, Amelia looked down before meeting Thor’s eyes again.

_The agent laid soundlessly behind the bushes, his sight set on the Avengers as they chatted, unaware he was hiding only meters away from them. He would have preferred something more ranged for the task, but after being bestowed the technology able to neutralize the asset, he was told it was best injected directly into her. With the Avengers being an obvious obstacle, he was told across his earpiece that a shot from a short distance would do. But the asset was nowhere to be seen. The agent had almost given up finding her when another car promptly slowed and came to a stop beside the Avengers. Loki came out with two SHIELD soldiers, and hidden behind the other side of the car, he could see the asset approaching her newfound companions. Once they settled, the agent thought he had a clear shot before the asset suddenly sprinted towards the Asgardians. The agent shifted with a frustrated sigh, watching through the aim of his rifle as he struggled to find an opportunity to shoot. Truth to be told, he hesitated. He wouldn’t make it if he did it. The Avengers would catch up to him in no time, and he would be forced to compromise himself to prevent an interrogation. But this was for the cause- and as much as the agent dreaded it, he was essentially dead either way. With a quiet mantra to himself he breathed as the asset became clear in his aim. With a calming nod to himself, he whispered with defeat as his finger slowly pulled the trigger._

_“Hail Hydra.”_


	10. X - Loki's Plea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki and Thor manage the passenger that involuntarily joins them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever my studies don't go the way I've planned, I know I can always sit down and enjoy writing fanfiction. So, what else is there to say but enjoy? (Also, this chapter is shorter than usual, tsk tsk.)

__Loki wondered what went through Amelia’s head as she spoke, quickly realizing she actually made good on her promise when she started to explain it to his brother.

“I believe your brother wasn’t unaffected when he did what he did. I don’t want him to stand fully responsible for something when there might be someone- _something_ else out there with the intent of harm. I-I just wanted to let you know.” Amelia forced a smile, earning a genuine one from Thor as he gently placed his hand upon her shoulder.

“Thank you. I am sure a mortal’s plead would weigh stronger than my own in this case.” Amelia nodded, looking up at Loki as she stepped back to watch them leave. Thor’s grip on the tesseract tightened as he went to turn it, activating its powers. Loki was still facing Amelia as he did, eyes wide with wonder at her words. Amelia sighed, to Loki’s surprise, almost sadly before she raised her hand to wave a sort of goodbye. Her hand only made it hallway before her body suddenly fell forward by a force unknown. Loki’s eyes widened as he instinctively reached for her falling form, just as the Tesseract made the Earth around them evaporate into a range of piercing colors around them. His vision went white as they surfed through, back to the now unwelcome grounds of Asgard.

Loki and Thor almost seeped to the floor at the unexpected passenger of their trip. Thor grunted with surprise, Loki’s chains rattling as his hand around the Tesseract dropped for the sake of the woman falling below him. Barely able to catch her before she crashed into the marbled floor, she stilled in his restricted arms when her shoulders connected with his palms.

“By Odin- Loki what have you done!” Thor, only now realizing Amelia had come with them almost seemed to panic at the woman laying in Loki’s arms. Loki shot him a warning look, eyes frantically trying to communicate before Thor, in anger, ripped his mask off, the heavy metal thudding against the floor. Loki mentally sighed, anger fueling him, as well, at the impulsive behavior of his brother,

“I- did _nothing._ She’s wounded. Badly. So before you throw a fit, get to the healers and inform them of our arrival!” Loki heaved a restrained grunt as he lifted Amelia off the ground, standing up to carry her as he quickly paced past Thor, who was still standing by, brows furrowed in pure confusion.

“Well, go on- you big oaf!” Loki called ahead of him, Thor, still without much understanding of what had just happened, silently followed with a displeased rumble as he quickly grabbed onto the Tesseract. They had arrived right in front of Odin’s hall, the engravings etched into the marbled floors a now permanent reminder of whatever Thor had just witnessed. Without as much of a thought as to the how’s and why’s with her joining them, he pondered more on what to say to their father. Even someone as powerful as Odin, couldn’t send her back as easily. Thor dreaded how long of a stay she was in for- before he recalled Loki’s words. _If_ she survived whatever ailed her…

Stark never believed something that he hadn’t anticipated could end up being everything going wrong in that moment. The familiar piercing of their ears at the familiar sound of the weapon had immediately raised the alarm between them. Natasha was quick on her feet to catch the culprit, quickly darting in the direction the shot had come from. Steve followed suit, pulling off an impressive show as he lunged after the culprit, his fist connecting with his jaw before he even had the chance to make a run for it. Stark watched in awe as Steve yelled a demand for answers from the dark clad man, sporting the familiar gear of a regular SHIELD soldier, the Captain’s eyes growing wide as he remained in a state of shock when the victim to his anger moved his lips, his words inaudible to Stark, before he suddenly stilled under Steve’s ominous expression.

“Cap?” Stark tried, finding the courage to approach Steve when he finally seemed to sigh in defeat as he let the body of the culprit go limp on the ground. Steve eyed Stark with dark eyes, his clear blue orbs now painted with the anger and fear that lingered behind them.

“It’s Hydra. They- they were the ones.”

“What do you mean- _they were the ones_!?” Stark found it odd and a tad bit frightening to see Steve almost out of breath at his own words, swallowing them with a bittersweet realization. Stark didn’t like to see the usually composed Captain losing his wits like that. Steve blinked, frowning upon the poisoned corpse in front of him. Evidence of his suicide had begun to protrude from the corner of his mouth, and Steve’s eyes flickered on his surroundings as he stood up, knowing there was nothing to be done to get information from this guy. He had died for the cause- and now Amelia might be dead too. There wouldn’t even be a body to bury…

“He told me, before he died. Hydra wanted us to see this. Amelia isn’t just a young woman anymore that we coincidentally happened to discover. They made her like this- they took her life away. And for what- to just _shoot_ her!?” Stark halted in his steps, his hands lining up inside his pockets as he absentmindedly looked up at the sky, wondering where in the universe Amelia found herself right now- dead or alive.

“I think we agree for once, that Hydra needs to pay. Amelia was a project to them- something must have gone wrong for them to terminate her like this. If they’ve _failed-_ that means they’re going to try again. I don’t know about you- but if they considered _her_ a failure, I really don’t want to sit on my ass to see what they come up with next.” Steve nodded, still frowning at the mention of Hydra, still fresh in his mind. It was like reliving the 40’s all over again. He thought they were a lost cause. But now, it appears they were still very much around. He had to stop them, and as much as he disliked hearing Stark’s apparent indifference to Amelia’s possible death, he couldn’t find himself to disagree that they needed to be stopped before they did it again. He had to focus- and wherever Amelia was- _hopefully_ , she’d be alive- or at the very least _at peace…_

Loki practically threw himself through the doors leading to the healers, his expression dark and sinister with anger and worry. The healers gasped at his sudden presence as he towered over them, frozen in place by the vicious flaring of his blue eyes, before they finally noticed the woman in his arms.

“Fix her. **Now**. Or I swear it’ll be the last time you ever see this room-“

“Loki!” Thor called out to his brother, cutting of his impulsive threat with a disappointed frown. Loki growled, casting a glare back at him before settling on the slab the healers were surrounding. He quickly laid Amelia down, brushing away dull strands of hair from her face after he gently laid her head down. One of the healers, a brunette with her curls tied into a cluster of braids falling behind her back, eyed Loki cautiously with a piercing pair of golden eyes as she hurriedly tapped at the Soul Forge.

“What happened to her?” she hesitantly asked, a deep accent coating the edge of her words as her bright green eyes flickered from Loki and back to the mechanics of the Soul Forge. Loki frowned, his pale lips parting as he found himself unable to look away from Amelia’s unconscious form.

“A gunshot wound. It is nothing but primal technology used by those imbeciles- surely you can patch her up almost instantly.” Loki dreaded the silence that greeted him, eyes panicking as he stared at the healer who had responded to him. She frowned in confusion, shaking her head, both in awe at what she was seeing, as well as an answer to Loki’s belief in their capabilities. The mortal’s condition was- astonishing, to say the least. She pointed to a faint, but unnatural patch of glowing material coursing through the rest of her body through the wound in her back.

“What you’re looking at is the retraction of her mutation. Her mutation has visibly developed to the point where her body cannot concentrate the damage caused by the wound. It is accelerating so fast her body has already started to go into shock. She’s rejecting the change- and it is killing her as we speak.”

“Well do **something**! Are you not the greatest healers of Asgard!? You have been supervising Odin for _years_ , when we all know that old sod should have been dead centuries ago! Don’t tell me you cannot fix a simple mortal!”

“Loki-“

“Not. Now- _Thor.”_ Loki sneered back at his brother, throwing his name back at him by mimicking Thor’s attempt to calm his brother. Thor fell quiet with a sigh, before noticing Loki’s clenched fists and the harsh wrinkles forming his furious expression. He stepped forward, his large hand colliding with Loki’s shoulder empathically. Loki flinched, eyes widening as he realized that he had just lost his composure in front of everyone. And over a simple- _mortal?_ Loki frowned again, overcome with embarrassment as he shoved Thor away from his sight, removing himself from the room with large strides, deliberately choosing not to look back at Amelia lying behind him.

“Will she be alright, healers?” Thor hesitantly asked, knowing he had to hurry after Loki. The healer from before gave a reluctant sigh, fingers dragging swiftly across the particles forming a model of Amelia’s body in the air, the wound erupting a bright blue throughout her back.

“It’s hard to say, my Lord. The mutation has evidently been a part of her for a long time. If it was recent, the wound would not even have affected her. We would have to thoroughly search her to find exactly what we think is making her reject this- _invasion._ It takes time I am not certain we have. But we will try- if you would allow us to work in peace, my Lord?”

“Of course. Thank you, healer.” Thor forced a smile, silently turning on his heel as he followed Loki’s footsteps and closed the door behind him. The healers briefly looked after him with concerned eyes, before they turned back to the mortal woman before them. Amelia’s fingers stirred against the slab she was laid upon, her expression flickering weakly into a look of pain- despite her being unconscious. The healer frowned as she set the others to work, briefly empathizing with the human girl, whose fate was yet unknown to them.


End file.
